The Blue Dahlia
by glimmergloss321
Summary: Zuko Pyralis achieved his dream of succeeding in politics despite having a celebrity serial killer for a little sister. She was erased from his life... until a copycat killer kidnaps his daughter. Worse yet, now he must rely on an insufferable police chief and the reliability of his wife's ex to save Izumi before it's too late. Modern AU. 50/50 amount of Toko/Tyzula.
1. Expectations

**AN:** _Hi! First fanfic. I'm here because they say write what you want to read if it doesn't exist. I needed a serialkiller!Azula story and_ ** _more_** _Toko in this world. So I wrote it. A lot of credit to Blank Pages, Hybristophilia and Synchronicity by electric gurrl, Grief by KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, Unpaid Debts by DearLemonLima and everyone and anyone who has written Toko.  
This is in first person POV, but it only switches between Zuko and Azula once per chapter so I hope it's not too confusing.  
M for murder, language, references to child abuse, and strong sexual themes (potential sexual content later).  
Thank you very much to my beta, electric gurrl.  
_

* * *

The Blue Dahlia

* * *

"Pain's not bad, it's good. It teaches you things. I understand that." – Charles Manson

* * *

Chapter One  
Great Expectations

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

Nobody teaches you how to react to something like this.

That was all I could think about as I stared at the detectives sitting in front of me. I had dealt with them before, and the media, and all of those weirdos who collect Charles Manson's teeth or whatever. It was a miracle I even managed to win three elections when half of what people asked me about was a series of famous murders committed by the girl I taught how to ride a bike.

I was about to punch dents in all of the walls but I kept my cool for the cameras.

"Who is in charge of this investigation?" I demanded through tightly clenched teeth.

"Chief Toph Beifong, sir," said the shrimpy man whose uniform barely fit. He looked very out of place when surrounded by the more experienced officers. "She's…" He squinted. "A lovely woman."

"A lovely woman?" I scoffed. "That's not what I need. I need someone to get my daughter back in the next two days before I…"

I didn't have a threat on hand. It was almost as if I didn't even make them. Oh wait. I didn't, because my sister was a total loon and the media would jump on me like fucking hyenas if I said a violent word.

My sister was….

My sister was….

My sister was _going to talk_. This was _her_ copycat killer. This was _her_ fault in a roundabout kind of way. "I need to speak to this Chief Toph Beifong or whoever."

And I always got what I wanted.

xxx

"We should have known this would happen," Ty Lee said between hiccups. She was taking this poorly, which I understood. She could barely handle the news reports about bodies of people she had never even met, so it was no surprise when it was her own daughter who got kidnapped. After Azula, I could imagine why even true crime or mystery shows gave her chills. "We're the most obvious targets and I didn't even save her!"

I took a deep breath. I took classes in those from an Indian guru who knew my doctor and they were paying off, thank God.

"Okay, I have a plan," I said, holding up one finger. Her bright eyes followed it.

"Your plans _suck_!" Ty Lee snapped and I tried not to take it too personally.

"My plan is for you to talk to Azula," I stated, smiling. I might have stole it from _The Silence of the Lambs_ , but it was a good plan. Ty Lee was her Kryptonite, after all.

"What would she even know?" Ty Lee spat, furrowing her brow.

"Well, they took our daughter from a locked house with an armed guard protecting us from exactly this scenario. And she's smart. Don't you think it's worth it? She has all of those creepy fans who go to visit her and…"

"Maybe it's one of them," Ty Lee whispered. She sniffed in loudly. "That makes a lot of sense. If they're into her enough to be a copycat killer then…."

"Then they'd be into her enough to be one of those sketchy visitors. Chief Beifong apparently already asked for the paperwork on the visitors. But Azula met them. I'm going to ask her if you can take the names of all of the people who visited her more than once and ask. There are thirteen or fourteen of those."

Ty Lee swallowed. "What if I don't want to see her again?"

"You want to see Izumi again," I said, and it settled the matter.

She was certain to be safe; Izumi wasn't.

xxx

Chief Toph Beifong was not a lovely woman, I discovered within seconds of meeting her. Within a few more seconds of meeting her, I realized she was blind. That was really not a promising combination for the cop I was trusting with my daughter's life.

"Yes, I am blind. Yes, I am more competent than any other cop in California. Haven't you ever seen _Master Chef_? No, I am not gonna sugar coat anything for you. No, I don't like politicians and I'm not afraid to say it," were the first things she said to me, before I had even shut the door to her office.

"Do you think my daughter's alive?" I replied and she seemed startled by the sudden question. I really did doubt that anybody had recovered from her introduction so quickly before, if at all, but I was focused on one thing and one thing only.

"Yes. For now," Chief Beifong said.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked.

"You don't wanna know," she said, touching her knuckles to her lips.

"I thought you weren't going to sugar coat anything," I snarled, steadfast and stolid.

"That's not sugar coating. That's honesty." Toph turned up a palm and shrugged.

"Fine. Talk to me." I pulled out a chair that made a loud screech and sat down.

Chief Beifong paused and tapped her fingers on her messy desk. She had three coffee cups, countless dull pencils, a few water bottles and too many files on it. I couldn't even see the wood. I guessed she couldn't either.

"What was her name again? The Blue Dahlia's last victim?" Chief Beifong inquired and I tried to hold my tongue. "I thought you knew her."

I stiffened. She wasn't allowed to say that, and if I didn't need her, I would've said some very unkind words about that. "She was my wife at the time."

"Riiiiight. Which is how we caught her. So, maybe this copycat killer thought this'd be his grand finale or something else stupid like that," Chief Beifong said, turning up her palms like this was some kind of _joke_. "What? You think they wouldn't have gone after your kid right away if this was just about their hard-on for the Blue Dahlia case?"

That took me longer to answer.

"I'm planning on finding my daughter before she turns up tortured and dead, thank you," I finally said. I would never give up, or be daunted by this woman. I already lost Katara to a sick freak; I wasn't losing our baby.

"So has everybody who realized their whoever was gone before they died." Chief Beifong shrugged.

"I'm not everybody," I said firmly.

"Mhm," Chief Beifong said and I rolled my eyes.

"I know something you don't," I said and she cocked an amused eyebrow. She looked really _smug_ about it and I wanted to smash her desk in half. I managed to restrain myself. "Azula loved my wife. Ty Lee was always her weakness... and, no one knows, but Ty Lee turned her in because she was trying to divorce her. I think that Ty Lee has the best chance of getting an emotional reaction out of Azula."

"How the _fuck_ did that not get covered by the media? They love that tabloid shit." Chief Beifong demanded, looking almost _excited_ now. "And you marrying her ex-wife? Yikes."

"It didn't get covered by the media because the situation was fucked up enough already. Now focus on finding my daughter," I firmly said.

"I'll give your wife a chance. One chance, and only one chance. If she can get Azula to talk, we'll talk. Got it?" Chief Beifong announced, and I forced myself to stay silent. I would do anything to get Izumi back, including tolerating this obnoxious woman.

"Got it," I grumbled.

She pointed at the door. I hesitated, but decided to leave before she changed her mind.

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I have to admit I expected some poor, pathetic lost little soul to attempt to involve me in this… debacle. It was almost as certain as the pretty fangirls and the less pretty reporters. I did not, however, expect that the poor, lost little soul would be _that one_.

Her voice was audible from ten miles away. She never did learn the importance of volume . . . or anything not printed in a magazine shiny enough to hold her gaze for more than three seconds either. And her heels were even louder.

I was behind quite sturdy glass, which kept many people out who had wanted to touch me. But despite our past _touching_ , I doubted Ty Lee wanted to do that when she settled in the chair across from me.

"Hi," she said and I had no clue how I was supposed to respond to that.

 _Hi_ seemed a little inappropriate of a greeting after seven years of absence and marrying my brother before our bed was cold. I should have said something. I should have made this difficult.

I did not.

"Awfully short greeting, isn't that? Is there really nothing to talk about?" I asked and Ty Lee grimaced. It revealed the slight stains of pink lipstick on her skin. The frayed hair and crumpled clothes that smelled like sweat and yesterday's perfume also were pathetic enough to hold my attention. "How's my brother? Are those hydrangeas coming in nicely still?" I paused. "How's Izumi?"

I have to admit I should have expected that she was going to try to strangle me regardless of the Plexiglas. It was futile, and a little cute, but I should have expected it all the same. She had such purplish circles under her eyes. So sad.

This was going to be fun.

"You're supposed to help me," Ty Lee snarled shrilly and I reclined in my chair with my hands clasped on my lap.

" _Supposed to help you_? I have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. You're going to have to give me a far better reason than _supposed to help you_ ," I replied, a smirk creeping onto my lips.

She looked utterly _wrathful_. It was enjoyable, if a little bit dull. I had spoken to much more interesting people, but I _was_ interested in her more than those crazies who wanted to kiss me, kill me or be me. I knew she was seeking one of those who wanted to _be me_ , and I knew that she was not doing a sufficient job of concealing the papers in her hands.

"Give me one chance to convince you," Ty Lee pleaded.

And I had nothing better to do than respond to her plight.

"I will. I will give you one shred of advice." The corner of my lips twitched, but I doubted that she noticed.

She looked hopeful as she answered, "Yes?"

"This was a stupid move of the killer. Taking Izumi would obviously end their game. Which was exactly the point of taking her. They've imitated things quite well, and so I imagine their grand finale would be an equivalent to mine. Let them kill her and they'll stop killing." That was, as any idiot would know, the last answer she wanted. "A lot of killers want to get caught. This one, I'm sure, wants credit for the glory. How many false confessions have they had? Six, seven…?"

"Ten," Ty Lee softly and begrudgingly replied.

"I've made my point." I smiled mockingly at her and her face flushed bright red.

"If they were copying you they would've taken _me_ ," Ty Lee snapped and she _did_ have a point. But it was a point I had already thought about before she even arrived.

"There are two options here. One, they're using Izumi to lure you for a more dramatic and accurate finale. Two, they want you to play your same role," I explained and she inexplicably looked angrier. I had been _so helpful_ with those two suggestions.

"I don't know them. I couldn't play my same role because nobody knows about that. They held back that whole part of the story."

"So, it's either Option A or you do know them." I shrugged insouciantly and she hated me for it.

"I'm not chasing Izumi," Ty Lee whispered.

"Then you're here for a friendly visit. I had no idea. I should've spent more time on my make-up." I smirked again. She looked about to break the glass with her bare hands and it was _exalting_.

"You are not a nice person," was all she said. It almost disappointed me.

"I know. That's why you married my brother, isn't it? He's so nice. Or does he remind you of me? Can you pretend for just a moment that his eyes are mine? Ever called out the wrong name?"

Ty Lee no longer looked enthused about talking anymore, because I was right and it was written all over her face. She always was an open book.

"Can you look at this?" she asked, feebly attempting to change the subject. It was cuter than a puppy who wanted to go for a walk at midnight.

I saw the opportunity I had been awaiting for this entire discussion and seized it. "How far would you be willing to go for me to look at it?"

"I'm surprised you think you have to ask me," Ty Lee hissed.

"I want you to do something for me," I said and my small smile was real for the first time.

"Mhm?" She muffled her words through her hands.

"Tell _everyone_ about what you did," I hissed through clenched teeth.

Her eyes glittered with satisfying tears. "I didn't do anything. If you're talking about me and Zuko…"

"Well, it really can't hurt for people to know, can it? I would consider it something to buy Izumi time, if you believe that they're obsessed with me. The media would _devour_ it. Well, no, mostly I just want to see it. But that also would happen."

"Goodbye."

"Good luck," I whispered.

Ty Lee ran away.

I expected that.


	2. Sacrifices

**AN:** _Thank you all so much for your reviews and your support: jonissbouquet, korrasarmyy, Oh You in that Dress, Guest, Madness-and-Corona, 12D3 Gorillaz, Streetlight Eyes, smokeandshadowfeels, SeducedbyFire, BabydollEyelashes, KawaiiEyeliner, Fake Nails Real Hearts, cranapplesurprise, delictabledelias, KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, DearLemonLima, HeavenBesideYou13, electric gurrl and dickard23._

 _I'm not going to have any Ty Luko besides the fact that they're married, but I plan on this the length of real novel (around 80,000 words) and so it definitely needs time for the romances to build at all. I think. They might get longer._

 _Anyway, thank you guys and I'll shut up now._

* * *

Chapter Two  
Sacrifice

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

Ty Lee said she had to show me something.

She went to her yoga room in the house and rummaged around in the messy boxes for some time. I paced, I waited; I didn't understand why I had to do either of those things when Izumi was in danger.

But she came back with a letter. I was stunned by that revelation the minute I saw that it was from my sister. I wondered for a brief moment if she wrote back to all of the people who wrote to her, and I wondered why she was a fixation people swooned over instead of a creep who made people sick. She was charming, beautiful and a fantasy of the country's serial killer culture. I would admit all of that, even as her brother.

 _Is he good?_

 _I didn't even get a wedding invitation out of courtesy, which is unfair and very impolite. If I hate anything, it is when people aren't polite. You owe me a conversation. Just one. I want to discuss how and why you did what you did. It should not pose a problem, seeing as I am locked up as I should be._

 _You always liked tabloids, didn't you? They were the only thing you read. I've started developing a taste for them now that I'm in so many._

 _I signed the divorce papers, which is obviously the only reason I'm writing to you. Not that you were waiting to move on… or get engaged again. I hope you wear the same dress. It is very flattering._

 _I've noticed you haven't bothered breathing a word to your favorite magazines._

 _Please, tell me why. I am simply dying to know._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Azula_

I hesitated for a minute. The 'sincerely' had been erased several times. It had _love_ at one point. When I turned it over and to the light, I saw _best wishes on your incestuous wedding_ , but the first thing erased is _making love to you_. It's the most taunting one; I wonder why she didn't use it.

Ty Lee said, "I'm sorry for not showing you. It didn't seem right and later it didn't really have a point. I never wrote back. She had enough fangirls without thinking that I cared or something."

"Do you think it's helpful?" I asked, because I couldn't see much in it.

"She wants me to tell the tabloids," Ty Lee whispered and I clenched my jaw.

"There's no way I'm doing that," I said and Ty Lee looked at her feet for a few moments.

"Who's it gonna hurt?" she whispered. "She said she'd help and that it'd buy us some time."

"Maybe you're right." That was all I said to her for the remainder of the night.

I slept on the couch again.

xxx

I did not (fully) agree to do what I was about to do.

It seemed really petty in the light of my _child_ being in the hands of a deranged lunatic. But if it would help free my child from the hands of that deranged lunatic, I was more than willing to do it.

"I actually think this might buy us time," said Chief Beifong with a careless shrug. "Perks of chasing a copycat killer?"

"That is possibly the most callous thing I have ever heard anybody say," I growled.

"Eh. I've said more callous things." Chief Beifong waved her hand to dismiss his complaint. "At least your wife got her to talk, and it's not a half-bad idea."

"It's not what I would call something I like to do," I said and Chief Beifong shrugged yet again.

Ty Lee was looking at the cameras, the lights that were already flashing. I could see her trembling, and I was certain that the people out there would be able to see too.

I walked with her to the podium, and wished I had better words to say.

"We want to address not only the press but whoever it is out there with my daughter," I began, and I thought I was doing pretty well. "Whatever you want, whatever it has to do with _my sister_ , I can offer you. In fact, I'm going to tell the press, and you, something that she has always wanted the public to know."

I cleared my throat. Ty Lee looked nervous.

I continued, "Anyone knows that my father was given a life sentence for covering up my sister's crimes. Nobody knows that I had a part to play too. I didn't help her. I did the opposite. I came forward as the one who went to go tell the police about my suspicions. I lied. It was her wife."

"Why?" tactless asked a reporter.

I just gestured at Ty Lee. There wasn't much else I could do. "I was having an affair with Ty Lee at the time. They were planning on a divorce and Ty Lee was trying to prove that Azula was unfaithful... much like we were. So, she unveiled my sister's twisted double life. Maybe you think that's a good reason to take my daughter, as some sort of punishment, because Azula doesn't want her ex-wife touched…"

Ty Lee smiled at me.

"But if you want to really get the glory," I said, going off book. "You should exchange that little girl for the person who brought down your idol and cheated on her with her brother. You're wrong about Azula not wanting her to be harmed. We're good parents. We would sacrifice ourselves so our daughter can live. Contact us if you want to make a trade."

The outrage of the press made Chief Beifong grab me by the arm and pull me away. To bulkier officers helped a faint Ty Lee towards the station, shoving people out of the way.

xxx

"Zuko, you should've checked with me first!" Ty Lee shouted as she made it back inside. Her skin glistened with sweat.

"It came to me on the spot, okay?" I tried to justify my actions, but it was pretty hard. A big part of me thought I just did something extremely stupid. "They're not really going to take you. I promise. But I think that they'll keep Izumi alive to figure out if we're bluffing or not, and if they contact us…"

I tried to kiss her, but she moved away.

"I need those papers," she whispered.

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I waited for her to arrive the moment the guards escorted my apparently very dangerous self towards a glass wall between me and a woman who was just offered up to a murderer as bait. I smirked at her as she averted her eyes.

"I'm proud of you," I said smoothly, "for being so _selfless_. And to think when we were together all you cared about was what I could buy you and your own feelings about our time together."

"It wasn't my choice," she replied, looking up for a few seconds before looking away again.

"You'll look at the papers?" Ty Lee asked and I nodded. "Wow, I didn't think it would be that easy."

I accepted them from her and flipped through the pages. My attention flickered to the circles names; I knew all of them too intimately for my tastes. They seemed to trust me, the poor fools.

"Half of these stand out as the most fitting to the news, but I would need full access to the case files in order to give you more… detailed answers."

"I have them," Ty Lee said.

"I noticed. But that is asking far too much of me for that price. I _loved_ seeing you outed as such a whore, but that simply isn't enough _. 'You will think me cruel, very selfish, but love is always selfish; the more ardent the more selfish. How jealous I am you cannot know.'_ That's from _Carmilla_. I could think of something of my own if I had a reason to think about it," I purred sweetly and Ty Lee glared daggers. "I haven't decided my price, but I'll fulfill the promise I made last time."

"Look at Mai, Hahn, Jet, Kuvira, Tahno, Koh, Asami, Eska, Yon Rha, Chan, Ruon-Jian, and June." I marked them offhandedly as I spoke, and she watched me like a hawk.

"That's a lot," Ty Lee protested, frantically trying to find the names after I handed her back the packet of papers,

"That is a _much_ shorter list than what you already have," I said softly and I enjoyed the look of realization in her eyes.

"You're right," Ty Lee admitted, although she did not want to. "What do you want in exchange? I know this isn't charity."

I can't help but slowly shake my head. This poor, unfortunate woman.

"I want you to kiss me."


	3. Demands

**AN:** _This chapter is later than I'd hoped from exhausting family stuff and researching the prison system, but I was loving writing it and I'm still really psyched for this. Thanks so much to apermissivemommy, DearLemonLima, delictabledelias, cranapplesurprise, turtleducksymphony, KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, Distracted by Lemons, splendorousfire, smokeandshadowfeels, Koka Kola Veins, Streetlight Eyes, FanfictionVillainess, promiscuouslesbian, Guest, American Zombie, illegalsweaters, Don't Touch My Walkman, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, iliasc, turn forever you and me and Tyleepoof for reviewing.  
I want to say that I'm really glad this is going well. It's my first real fanfic and English is my second language and I was so nervous! Feel free to point out any errors, though. I can take criticism._

* * *

Chapter Three  
Demands

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

Chief Beifong crossed her arms and said firmly, "You're not coming."

We stood in her office. She was going to see a new dead body with all the markers of the Blue Dahlia copycat. I was going with her if it was the last thing I did. And, judging by her expression, it very well might be.

"I bought my own plane tickets," I snapped, steadying my stance. She was unfazed by what would intimidate most people.

"You're _not coming_ ," the Chief reiterated and I bet it would scare anyone who didn't grow up with my dad and sister.

"Don't stop me. Do not stop me," I stated and I knew from her face she would not argue.

Toph groaned. "You're a pain in the ass, did you know that? I've had a lotta people try to push me into working extra to save their kid. Sometimes it works out. Most of the time it doesn't."

"Take me with you," I snarled, twisting my feet deeper into the floor.

She sighed. "Whatever."

She again did that dismissive wave that I hate, and left the room.

xxx

After a lonely flight, I met up with Chief Beifong at the house. I had been there before. I had been there before identifying another body and it hurt like Hell to be back here again.

His grandmother was crying when I walked in. The moment I saw her face, I felt terrified and sick. It was the same face she had when Katara died. My wife. The love of my life. Two police from the area were showing her pictures, which just seemed fucked up to him.

Then something occurred to the senator. "How do you analyze pictures from a crime scene when you can't see?"

Chief Beifong bristled. "I got really far, didn't I? I'm a fucking Chief of Police in the LAPD. If I had problems because of my sight, I wouldn't be here."

"Right." I was pretty embarrassed by what I just said, but I didn't recant it. "I have a scar."

And Chief Beifong laughed. "If you think a _scar_ compares to the fact I can't _see_ your scar, you're even more egocentric than I thought."

"You don't want to know how I got it? Where it is?"

"You _are_ more egocentric than I thought. Wow."

Chief Beifong pushed past me and went to go see Kanna.

xxx

I regretted seeing Sokka.

 _Bad_. I'm not a cop or coroner and so it hit hard and I hurled everywhere. He had been my brother-in-law since I got married, but I never really saw him again after Katara's death. It hurt everybody too much. I was oddly glad that Ty Lee wasn't here, and I wasn't sure why.

 _I never got over Katara._

 _She never got over Azula._

It was late afternoon in a chilly basement and he was on a slab. The burns were something I couldn't describe, but when I looked up from spilling my guts, I saw my own face.

"You ever seen—oh, God, I'm sorry." My cheeks combusted but Chief Beifong brushed it off.

"No. I haven't ever seen." Chief Beifong shrugged; she clearly didn't take it as a transgression.

"I meant to say the movie _The Bad Seed_ ," I said under my breath.

Chief Beifong shrugged again. "No. Sounds like porn."

"It's an old horror movie about a little girl who's a serial killer. Her grandfather was secretly one and they said it was genetic. She was innocent, charming, pretty…"

Toph laughed. _Laughed_. In a morgue. "She reminds you of your sister?"

"It was my sister's favorite movie when we were kids."

Toph laughed despite the sickening body in the room. Surely she could smell the charred skin and the _rot_. Surely she could understand that this was a human being, and one of the best human beings I had ever met in my life.

"So, is your scar a burn?" Toph inquired, cracking her knuckles. She spoke about it more casually than anybody else ever had.

"Yeah," I grunted.

"She do it?" Toph asked, referring, of course, to Azula. I had been asked that about a thousand times.

"No," I said.

"Who did then?"

I took a moment to think, wondering if it would hurt to open up. It probably would, but I was honest anyway. "My dad."

"Ouch." She didn't sound much like she cared about the pain. "At least he's locked up too. Why'd he do it?"

"You rail on me for asking too many personal questions," I snapped. "I don't see why you seem to think you have the same right."

"I'm more egocentric than you thought." Toph walked to the body and slid on gloves. I was amazing by her movements. They were pretty far from graceful, but she was grounded in a way I had never seen a person be before. Like the earth was made of magnets clinging to the woman.

"He did it because I got expelled from my boarding school. I got smart-mouthed; he got a hot poker. It was a _bit_ of a mismatched fight."

"Sucks." It was the least sympathetic thing I had ever heard about my scar. And for some reason, that was the first thing I liked about Chief Beifong. "So, anything other than just burns? Does he have the shocks and brands?"

I excused myself from the room and she smirked at me when I left like she _knew_ I would.

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

Two states away, Ty Lee was sitting in front of Plexiglas and gazing into the eyes of her last hope for Izumi. I _loved_ being someone's last hope. It was delicious and invigorating to look at such a pitiful stare.

"I can't kiss you. There's glass there for a reason," Ty Lee said and I rolled my eyes. This delay was tedious and needless; I knew she would agree to kiss me in the end.

I _did_ humor her, however. "And what reason would that be?"

"So you don't bite my face off or something!"

I laughed at that one. It was new.

"I'm not Hannibal Lecter. I want you to kiss me, and nothing spicier than that. I am sure you could find a way to make it happen, given how much you want your little baby Izumi to live," I purred, batting my eyelashes. It clearly hurt her, and I derived such pleasure from it.

"Are you blackmailing me with _my daughter's life_ for a _single kiss_?" Ty Lee shrieked.

"Yes," I replied earnestly. It was the honorable thing to say.

Before Ty Lee could scream at me a bulky man approached her.

"There's a phone call for you, Mrs. Pyralis," said my favorite guard. I smirked at him and he shook his head.

Ty Lee got up in an instant. It was so sad how she obviously was on edge for news of Izumi. I had my doubts that they would find the little girl before she died. The only reason I cared if she lived was because I could make Ty Lee dance like my marionette until Izumi showed up, corpse or kid.

I waited with a patience that I acquired while isolated in prison for the remainder of my life. Ty Lee returned with tears in her eyes.

"Another body showed up?" I leaned forward. I knew it was not my niece, but I feigned surprise.

"No. It wasn't Izumi. An adult male," Ty Lee said softly. "But he know- _knew_ Zuko. He was his ex-wife's brother."

I could not be more pleased about that news. "I always hated him."

"You're a psychopath!" screamed Ty Lee. I was going to develop a migraine from talking to her today.

"Have you not noticed the bars and handcuffs?" I smirked, composed and collected as she flew off the handle. "Everyone knows that, kitty cat."

"I'll _kiss_ you!" Ty Lee stood up and stopped just short of throwing her chair at the cement wall. "Fuck! I'll kiss you!"

"Well, now I'm think about a gory corpse and the mood is killed." I shrugged, and watched her clench her fists. Perhaps she would try to punch through the Plexiglas.

"Oh, oh, I kind of thought that might be arousing to you!"

"I burned people alive for fun and it had nothing to do with sex." I set my hand over my heart. "You know that. I had a calling card. Do the police this time?" I could not believe I had not asked about that previously. It seemed worth knowing, if not useful to the case.

"I don't know. They tell me what to ask you and I do." Ty Lee sobbed like a weakling.

"And then you do as I ask. What a lovely chain reaction," I purred, watching her squirm. She needed a compliment and flattering her wouldn't necessarily hurt me. "You're pretty when you cry."

She cried harder.

God, she clearly still loved me enough to want me to find her pretty.

xxx

"Do you have those _monogrammed_?" Ty Lee squeaked, seeming startled by the pen and notebook I was holding.

"They were a gift from the woman who helped me release my autobiography. She made a fortune," I explained honestly as Ty Lee moved slightly closer to me. She was hesitant to be in front of bars and not that safe, safe glass she must be missing. "Everything should be monogrammed, shouldn't it?" I purred. "You even have the same initials you would have when you were with me. How convenient for you."

"Azula, I'm not hung up on you like some schoolgirl. I don't... Look, I love you. I can't _not_ love you. You were my first crush, my first kiss, my first friend. But I'm not _in_ love with you anymore."

"But you're going to kiss me," I said softly.

Ty Lee's nostrils flared. "Yes, I am. Because you're holding my baby girl hostage until I do."

"You could figure out the murders yourself if you were competent." I shrugged one shoulder. "Why do you still need me? You always needed someone to take care of you. Protect you. Hold your hand when you cross the street and order for you at restaurants."

It's true. It is true that Ty Lee never wanted to be independent and I suppose I preyed on it in some ways for my own personal gain. But everyone has a weakness, and I always figure them out.

"No. You made me that way. Zuko didn't feel the need to help me cross the street or order for me at restaurants. Maybe that's why I slept with him behind your back. Because he didn't treat me like a _pet_."

Ty Lee moved to the bars before I could react to her outburst. I admittedly was distracted by her perfume; it never changed.

It felt like an old western movie when she did it. Her lipstick was as bitter as ever, but an acquired taste. I almost missed it.

The minute she was done, she said, "Now pay up, will you?"

How romantic.

I kept my promises, and so I tore out three pages from the notebook and handed them to her.

"These will help. I have no more patience for your presence. Decent kiss, though."

Ty Lee stormed away.


	4. Closer

**AN:** _Thank you so, so much to Streetlight Eyes, apermissivemommy, promiscuouslesbian, Guest, YouNeverCanTell, smokeandshadowfeels, Distracted by Lemons, hotlips29, xxlunareclipseoftheheartxx, A Kingdom of Isolation, Fake Nails Real Hearts, HeavenBesideYou13, Koka Kola Veins, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, yellowroses100, iliasc, delictabledelias, sinking like stones, cranapplesurprise, American Zombie, astraphobic kisses, electric gurrl and Tyleepoof for reviewing!_

* * *

Chapter Four  
Closer

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

Ty Lee waited for me on the tarmac.

She looked shaken, but that was more than reasonable. I still felt cold and like I was going to throw up again. Or three more times. That was not something you could see and then get out of your head. I had seen _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ , but when Freddie Krueger was your friend... it got much more fucked up to look at.

I went in for a kiss when she hugged me and I missed by a longshot. She pulled herself out of my arms in the blink of an eye and I wondered what I had done wrong. Maybe she was just too exhausted by Izumi; I knew I was.

"How did it go with her?" I asked and Ty Lee frowned, her brow furrowed. I had never seen that face before, but it was easy to tell that it wasn't a good one.

"Not bad," she said. I could tell she was hiding something, but I didn't want to ask. If it had to do with Azula, I didn't need to know. "I'm sorry about Sokka."

"I thought I'd have to tell you." I sighed from relief, then felt guilty. "Is it on the news that fast?"

"No. I just got told about it so I'd be ready to face it," Ty Lee said with the slightest shiver and I took her hand in mine.

She didn't deserve to be caught up in this again. I didn't either, but she had already been through so much because of the Blue Dahlia murders. It made me feel terrible. She should have married somebody who had never even killed a spider and lived happily ever after somewhere sunny.

But life sucked.

I knew that for a very long time.

xxx

I paced at the police station. It was pretty obvious she was making me wait just to drive me crazy. She was _definitely_ not a lovely woman, and I was about to scream.

Ty Lee was out for retail therapy, and I was waiting to investigate _someone_ on Azula's list. _Anyone_. At least narrow it down with some of the police magic powers I had seen on the crime shows I never watched. God, I hated even buddy cop comedies.

Even true crime paled in comparison to my father and sister.

Finally, I was allowed into her office.

"Did you narrow the suspects?" I demanded the second I had her attention.

"We're talking to them in order of most guilty seeming. Relax. Mai first. You know her, right?" Chief Beifong said it so _knowingly_ that I wanted to tear my own hair out.

"WE DATED FOR TWO YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL!" I bellowed because nobody ever paid the frivolity of our relationship any mind.

Chief Beifong sarcastically applauded me and said, "Yeah, she's on parole. Easy access and she has at least some motive. Close with Azula during the murders, criminal record, romantic history with you…"

I sighed. "I'll be coming with you."

"Where's Ty Lee?" she asked, ignoring my request.

"How do you see so much for a blind person?" I demanded before instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry. You're obviously extremely capable despite that, uh..."

"Have you _really_ never seen _Master Chef_?" Chief Beifong asked mockingly, and I rolled my eyes.

I growled, "No."

She smirked. "Neither have I."

I rolled my eyes harder.

xxx

"Good God, we dated for two years in high school," was the first thing I heard Mai saying when I walked through the red door to her mom's house.

Of course I got left behind. And locked in a car. Because Chief Beifong 'didn't need a whiny hanger-on' for ridiculous reasons.

I stayed half concealed behind a wall as I observed their conversation.

Chief Beifong said with a cocked eyebrow, "Yeah. I know. But you're on our list of most likely suspects. You visited Azula in prison."

Mai sighed. "Twice. Yes. Because I'm a very good friend."

"Friends don't usually testify against friends and get them locked up for life," Chief Beifong remarked coolly. "You're not very friendly."

Mai snapped, "Neither are you."

Chief Beifong shrugged. "Why'd you visit? Both times. I'd definitely call that surprise testimony a betrayal of trust."

Mai rolled her eyes, predictably. I stepped back and tried to hide behind the wall of her mom's house. "For her birthday. Both times. Check your fancy list."

"That was honest." Toph cleared her throat. "Zuko! Come in and help me with this interrogation."

How? How did she _see me_? She didn't even turn her head. That was all I wanted to know as I walked out with my cheeks hot. Chief Beifong looked so amused by my pain.

I hated her.

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

The first thing I noticed about Ty Lee was her nails. They were painted a very dark blue and freshly cleaned, which was not surprising given her obsession with appearances. All the same, I did think perhaps they were too well-kept for a grieving mother.

And then I noticed, "You aren't supposed to be here, are you?"

Ty Lee stiffened, her jaw clenched and her eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. She always was pitifully easy to read.

"You don't know that," Ty Lee snapped, pulling out her chair with a loud screech. "I am, if I have an appointment. You're closed off to visitors and letters or whatever since the murders."

"But you're allowed," I purred and watched her gulp. She was quite caught.

"I can't have secrets with you, can I?" Ty Lee sighed and focused on me.

She was a gazelle eyeing a lion as if her flirtatious lips could prevent it from devouring her. I enjoyed it.

"You know, secrets are lies, dear," I said and she looked quite hurt. It was a rush of both euphoria and queasiness; I couldn't decide which one.

Ty Lee turned bright red. "I'm not the liar here. And I think your secrets were—"

"I didn't fuck your brother behind your back!" Well, that killed my suaveness. "Stop crying."

Now I felt like the gazelle. It made me want to rip her into little pieces, but I kept my expression cold and detached.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Ty Lee ordered and I held back laughter.

"You poor little girl. You really are nothing without other people to make you feel like something." I paused. Not enough effect; she knew it already but had no desire to believe it. "You are in over your head, you realize."

Ty Lee clenched her jaw and struggled with her tears. It was quite the show. She should be on Broadway. "You did awful things to people."

"You did awful things to me, and seeing as you have just _shockingly_ informed me of my unfeeling narcissism, I care much more about what is done to me than what I do to others." I was silent; she was silent. "Do you ever think she doesn't think you're coming?"

"Who?" Ty Lee asked, but I could tell she knew I meant Izumi. Any idiot off the street could.

I smirked and watched her begin to melt. "Stop the act. She probably doesn't think you're coming because you aren't her mommy. You're just that girl who… conveniently turned up to replace a dead woman. She's crying for her daddy to come rescue her, _that_ is why I am not concerned for your life in the slightest."

Ty Lee gripped the table so fiercely that her knuckles blanched. "You wouldn't be even if I was in danger."

"Well, _ouch_ , how painful. I'm talking to you. I'm helping with an investigation I don't remotely care about, and I think you love that. The icy Blue Dahlia who everyone desires but only wants _you_. Only _you_ can get her to talk. Only _you_ can save her from her villainous ways," I said breathlessly, the slight shrug of my shoulder drawing her in. Poor, poor girl.

"Whatever. I did love you once enough to marry you. That doesn't mean I still do." Ty Lee weakly crossed her arms and tried to pretend she was not losing this verbal battle.

Again, I smirked, this time from more genuine mirth. "Of course I am aware of that. You just love the attention. I get a lot of people who think all I need is a little love, that they can kiss me better, but you are somehow different from them, aren't you? You would never settle for a Manson girl. You want to be _Bonnie_."

"I wouldn't have married you if I knew," Ty Lee insisted yet again. She could plead the fifth all she wanted but it would not sway me.

"I don't know about that. I never was quite sure. Now I am because you got quite dressed up to go to a prison. Where's the Kleenex and messy hair?" I inquired, watching the pout of her lips turn into a snarl. That exalted me.

She gripped the table with all the force in her hands. "You can debate my love for you all you want, but don't say that about Izumi."

"I find it odd that you miraculously discovered my secrets when I was handing you divorce papers about yours." That made her squirm. "Interesting timing, isn't it?"

"I told the truth about that. I thought you were cheating on me first with… the disappearing and whatever else. So when you were about to take me to court I decided to look into it. I found out something I didn't want to know," Ty Lee said ferociously. She looked like she wanted to bite me.

I purred, "Yes, I'm aware that that is your side of the story. I just don't know why you never even asked me about your supposed suspicions."

"Tell yourself what you want," Ty Lee snapped.

We locked eyes and she experienced a thousand emotions in front of me. I was comfortably numb, as usual. Although… she was the most interesting thing I had seen in a very long time. Her pupils were dilated, she was trembling, she was either afraid or turned on and I found that even I could not tell the difference at the moment.

I could not help but inquire, "Are you still attracted to me?"

"No." She sounded uncertain, despite her attempts to seem the opposite.

"Alright." She could tell herself what she wanted. "I believe that the killer is someone you know."

Ty Lee flushed nervously. She was oh so afraid. I had said it to figure out the difference between fear and arousal but…

"You have suspicions, do you?" I inquired. "You think it is?"

"What makes you think so?" Ty Lee snapped.

"They had the ability to abduct a child while her father was on high alert. The most recent victim. The more intimate knowledge. Tell me, what are they using to filter out false confessions?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm not supposed to tell anybody."

I rolled my eyes at the stunning idiocy. "Jesus Christ, you can tell _me_. I'm the fucking killer being _copied_."

"The shape of the brand. And you could've told any of those freaks who come visit you and collect your hair," Ty Lee snapped, her heels clicking on the floor as she nearly flew out of her seat.

She always felt so much, even when I felt so little.

"Of course," I said. "But while I haven't, it's unfortunately my word against yours in the end."

"Goodbye." Ty Lee stood and released the table at last.

As she turned to leave, I said, "I like your nail polish. Blue suits you."

Ty Lee skittered away again.

She would come crawling back.

She always did.


	5. Blue

**AN:** _Thank you so, so much to Adidaskicker, delictabledelias, American Zombie, electric gurrl, Fake Nails Real Hearts, cranapplesurprise, Guest, sinking like stones, smokeandshadowfeels, YouNeverCanTell, jonissbouquet, SlytherinSchoolgirl, splendorousfire, korrasarmyy, KawaiiEyeliner, yellowroses100, turtleducksymphony, HeavenBesideYou13, KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, Koka Kola Veins, MissHarloweGold, Don't Touch My Walkman, candycoatedmonster, Neon Dandelion, GlamorizedLevis, iliasc, SuperlustrousRainstorm, turn forever you and me, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, A Kingdom of Isolation, illegalsweaters, xxlunareclipseoftheheartxx, DearLemonLima, bubblybunnybabe, weaponofmassiveconsumption, ice cold desire and Guest for reviewing. We've reached 100 and I'm so very grateful._

* * *

Chapter Five  
Blue

* * *

 _ **Zuko**_

I watched Chief Beifong interview my longtime ex-girlfriend from afar. It was weird to see her working. She took it very seriously for someone who seemed so cavalier all of the time. It made me wonder about her, and it made me wonder why I thought about her so often.

"You wanna know what I know?" Mai said, leaning back with her hands clasped and resting on her lap. "That I've had some interesting visits and heard some interesting stories about the crazies who are obsessed with her. They dye themselves blue. Not, fully, or whatever. The wear blue hair dry, blue lipstick, blue nail polish, what have you. Those are all damned common for perfectly normal people so they can hide it easily. But if you interrogate someone other than me, I'd check them for any body paint of any kind."

"That's useful," Toph replied honestly but coolly. "Why do you run into those crazies?"

"I was close to her," Mai admitted. Her eyebrow twitched and I wondered why she was so annoyed. "Ages ago, obviously, but as a person who's spent a lot of time locked up with criminals and been interviewed about her childhood before or whatever, I hear things. Look for blue. She's the _Blue_ Dahlia for a damned reason."

"Look for blue?" Chief Beifong said slowly. I had never heard her speak like that, and I didn't like it. She sounded both displeased and pleased, if such a feeling existed. "So, you're telling me that we have a whole club of crazies who would want to…?"

"Draw her attention, be famous, who the fuck knows? I certainly don't," Mai said brusquely. I knew her well enough to see the interview coming to a bitter end. She was not the friendliest of people alive.

Chief Beifong seemed to notice that as well.

We would get nothing more out of Mai.

xxx

"Did you know about the blue thing?" I asked Chief Beifong.

She had not said a word for the entirety of our drive. We were in the backseat of a town car and she was locked inside of her head while I gazed out of the window and tried not to think about Izumi.

Toph sighed. "There's no use in keeping this shit from you, is there? Fine. We found blue nail polish on the latest body. A microscopic amount. I _told_ you that your girlfriend was telling the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, because you have magic lie detecting powers." I rolled my eyes. Then a thought occurred to me that felt like a bolt of lightning into the heart. "I should tell Ty Lee to take hers off."

Toph tensed. Her lip twisted. "That doesn't make you think we should make her a suspect? If she's wearing blue nail polish and I found blue nail polish on the damned body, did you not think for a minute that we should look into her?"

I had never wanted to punch someone so much before in my life. Ty Lee was clueless and sweet. There was no way she would harm Izumi. I knew she was probably pulling strings in the background, using her connection to Azula, doing all she could to make sure Izumi came home.

When she got home late, she would murmur things about trying to save her baby. Murmur things about it being her fault.

So I grunted back to Chief Beifong, "It makes me think she has a thousand colors of nail polish that she choreographs to her outfit every day. She's had yellow and pink – a lot of pink – and she's worn the same clothes for four days and hasn't changed her nails yet. She's _distressed_ about her _daughter_ who was kidnapped by the killer."

"Yeah. My _magic lie detecting powers_ say she's clean." Toph shrugged. "I did think she might have done it, but when I asked her a couple of questions she was clean. But I bet you anything she's been trying to get some information of her own. She might just be smart enough to be talking to some old friends of her almost-family. I wouldn't be surprised; she got Azula to talk."

"Ty Lee isn't smart enough for that." I didn't regret saying it. She was my wife and I knew her.

"My magic lie detecting powers say you have the same suspicion. Azula has herself a lot of fans. My guess is your wife might have an in with several of them. If your ex knew about it…" Toph shrugged. She had made her point. "I'll ask her about it this afternoon."

I tensed up. " _Fine_. Interrogate a grieving mother."

Toph ground her teeth loudly enough for me to hear it. "She won't be grieving anymore if I get to do this investigation right. She'll be grieving for a long time if you get in my way."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," I stated. I could sound a lot like my father when I wanted to, and it was effective.

"I've noticed that." Toph groaned.

I smiled to myself.

* * *

 _ **Azula**_

* * *

The news this morning amused me.

A false confession from an alleged copycat killer went horrifically awry. They must still be scrubbing the blood off of that ugly police station floor. Zuko was there; he had the privilege of watching some girl with blue nail polish and faded neon cerulean highlights slit her own throat.

She was such a _good girl_ , said the media when they showed pictures.

How could she have been seduced by wickedness?

I recalled that she used to speak about how little attention she received. She reminded me of Ty Lee's fatal flaw that destroyed our relationship.

 _What a lucky girl,_ I thought. _She finally got her picture on national television_.

xxx

"Hello, Chief Beifong," I said quite kindly. She seemed offended by my manners. It might have been because those were a foreign concept to her.

She came to visit after the news had already done three reports on the act of terrorism. I expected her to arrive much earlier, since she denied all of the interviews.

Toph Beifong spun around the chair and seated herself on it backwards. I liked to watch her move, for her blindness was her greatest strength. She may be frustrating, but she impressed me and I was not easily impressed.

"Tell me about your ex-wife," demanded Chief Beifong. Curiosity struck me like lightning. Why the Hell would anyone care about Ty Lee? I knew of her disgust when she dug up my secret. I did, however, also know that her grief was elaborately exaggerated.

"She dyes her hair and always wears the same lipstick even though she changes everything else each morning. It's an acquired taste, that brand," I purred. Toph Beifong was undeserving of my true observations. She had done nothing to earn them, and I believed that people must earn the use of my talents.

"Stop talking. None of that is useful," bluntly said the police chief.

"You didn't ask me to say anything useful." I smirked. She looked like she could _feel_ my smug response and it drove me mad. Madder, I suppose. "You asked me to tell you about my ex-wife. Do you think she's a suspect? She despises me. I did know the person who made that... display. They seem more important to me than the woman you've been sending her to try to – just a wild guess – seduce me into confessing? I know nothing about this mess my brother has gotten into."

"You knew that freak," barked Chief Beifong.

"Knew of her," I cavalierly corrected. "I believe that friends are a waste of time."

"I had a chat with your real friend," Chief Beifong said, and I wondered who she could be referring to. "Your high school _bestie_."

"Mhm?" I did not need to be told who it was, but I could make this into a much more interesting conversation.

"Mai," said Chief Beifong.

I scoffed in disbelief. "She's not a friend. She betrayed me and I would kill her if I had the chance."

"She was on your list of suspects, and visited you in prison twice." Both of those things were true, but they did not mean I liked Mai anymore.

"That was not a list of _friends_ , Chief Beifong. That was a list of people I think may have kidnapped my niece," I said with affected breathlessness.

Chief Beifong casually leaned back in the plastic chair. "Did Ty Lee know any of your wackjob fans?"

"I wouldn't know, seeing as I did not gain any fans until I had already lost her and lost my freedom to kill," I lied, because I found this piece of information curious. Many of my most devoted fans had come across me in life more than once before I was arrested. "I wasn't famous until I got caught. Now, I think your killer really wants to be found out, or really doesn't."

"Or really doesn't?" asked Chief Beifong.

I decided it was worth it to express one of my numerous theories. "Oh, yes. I think they would use my fans to make a... shroud to cover their activities. There would be so many false confessions, so many fun little stunts like the one this morning I am certain you are still cleaning up. The media attention alone would make it almost impossible to perform a decent investigation. The more of a fiasco it becomes, the harder finding Izumi becomes."

"You think they actually want the kid dead?" Chief Beifong inquired gravely.

"I think they have a taste for murder, and have a motive involving my brother. That motive could, of course, be homage to me, or it could be something much more personal. I narrowed my list of suspects down to people who have reason to spite Zuko."

Chief Beifong said nothing, but I knew she valued that information.

I was too entertained to _not_ inform her of the questions she should be asking.

I wanted the copycat to be captured and punished for reasons I could not comprehend.


	6. Saviors

**AN:** _Thank you so much to electric gurrl, MissHarloweGold, sinking like stones, DearLemonLima, cranapplesurprise, Neon Dandelion, SlytherinSchoolgirl, delictabledahlia, splendorousfire, GlamorizedLevis, HeavenBesideYou13, the-yellow-rose-girl, American Zombie, smokeandshadowfeels, Madness-and-Corona, ElaineB, FanfictionVillainess, Streetlight Eyes, Oh You in that Dress, Fake Nails Real Hearts, Don't Touch My Walkman, Distracted by Lemons, Powder Gangers Go, jonissbouquet, candycoatedmonster, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, SuperlustrousRainstorm, CeruleanWraith, redautumnhaze and A Kingdom of Isolation for reviewing!_

 _And super thank you so much to my beta electric gurrl!_

* * *

Chapter Six  
Saviors

* * *

 _ **Zuko**_

* * *

I wasn't prepared for what I saw in front of me. The quest to save my daughter had proven that I wasn't as done-it-all as I thought I was. My sister and father were sadistic killers, and so I thought I would be ready for this nightmare. Actually, if I had to swallow my pride, I thought I was the best fucking person for it.

Maybe nobody could watch somebody burn alive, especially when it was self-inflicted and right in front of their eyes. The young blonde woman was only a few feet away from me when she went up in flames.

My mind fixated on the woman once I stopped hurling. She stood like anybody else in that crowd when I spoke to the cameras and journalists. The only thing that made her stand out was the fact that she looked damp – I thought she was sweaty or had just gotten out of the shower. It was only when she held up a lighter and flicked it on that she looked out of the ordinary. She lit herself up like a damned bonfire before anybody paid it any mind.

She burned, and burned, and burned.

Not one person could look away.

I didn't need to gawk when I had seen scorched corpses more than once. The most recent was the last I saw, and the brother of the last one I hoped I'd see.

And so it wasn't the horrific sight that made me leave. It was the smell of burning flesh that knocked the winds out of me and sent my pulse through the roof. I could hardly see until I got away from the smell, but it still clung to my clothes.

Somebody knocked on the door of the police station bathroom and I tried to get it together. But it didn't matter, because when I opened the door I instantly regretted it.

"You don't have a very strong stomach, do you?" said Chief Beifong.

I sighed.

"You don't have much social grace, do you?" I replied, but she wasn't offended. In fact, she laughed about the insult.

"I know I don't. So, what scared you off?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said.

"Was it your ex-wife or your daddy?" she apathetically inquired.

"I didn't know you were so sympathetic," I growled.

"Well," she said, shrugging, "you learn something new every day."

"I'm going for a walk."

xxx

After I escaped the stuffy bathroom and entered the crisp winter day, I was walking alone. The street had drawn a crowd, and I didn't want to be anywhere near it. The questions could come later. I didn't need them at the moment.

The solitude felt like a relief until I realized it was a mistake.

Somebody pressed a knife against my throat and grabbed me before I could dodge or push them away. I should not have quit martial arts when I hit high school.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you," a man with a gravelly voice whispered into my ear.

I... I didn't have one. How did I not have one?

The knife began to choke me, and thought it was the end, until a _bang_ interrupted him.

I had to leap away from the guy as she fell and the blade nicked my throat.

When I turned around, I saw a woman with a gun and an apathetic expression.

"You could have shot me!" I exclaimed, stepping further away from the whimpering attacker. He may have been a puddle on the sidewalk, but I didn't want to be close to him.

"I didn't," Chief Beifong replied.

We stood in silence. I stared at her. It felt like she was staring back behind those sunglasses, but I knew she wasn't.

"I have to go," I hastily declared. I needed that gaze to end, and fast.

As I walked away, I heard behind me, "Thanks for saving my life, Toph. Yeah, no problem, Zuko..."

* * *

 _ **Azula**_

* * *

Some poor girl lighting herself on fire on live television was apparently disconcerting to my dear captors. I personally was flattered, but to each his own.

That was why I was sitting before a woman who was frumpy but occasionally quick-witted, and she was explaining how I was going to be taken to a different facility, so that no one knew where I was. It was very unnecessary.

"You do realize that you've been aiding the police, and that puts you in danger," she exasperatedly explained.

"This prison is very pathetic if I am in that much danger. If I cannot hurt others, how could they hurt me?" I sweetly said.

She cracked her knuckles one by one. "There also is the fact it's likely you've been aiding these loons too."

"How?" I cocked an eyebrow. "I still have no idea why it's my fault some pathetic lowlife wanted to murder people but was not very creative. I want Izumi to be saved. Believe me."

"I can't afford to believe you," she growled like a housecat that believed it was a tiger. "Your assistance hasn't done much to help her so far."

"This is tiring." I studied her for a moment but she did not break under my gaze. "It is also not my fault that the police are even more incompetent than you."

"Your life won't change very much," she said. "This isn't my choice. It's an order from people higher up than I ever will get."

"That is not a very positive attitude. Why do you not have any _ambition_? I have ambition. I could have been some mediocre killer who doesn't even get a made for TV murder movie. But look at that girl who burned herself alive. I am proud of my work. You should be too."

She grunted. "You should've written a self-help book instead of an autobiography, Ms. Pyralis."

xxx

A guard who glistened with sweat took me by the arm and moved directly for the handcuffs. A thousand thoughts raced through my head, but I decided attacking him was not immediately worth it. My father had made me far too paranoid. Zuko feared open flames. I feared confrontation.

The two of us were quite talented at hiding it, but today seemed to be imperfect for us both, judging by his escape on the news.

"If you continue what you are doing I will peel your skin off with my nails," I coldly said. "I have nothing to lose."

He pulled his fingers away as if my hands were on fire. "I'm not doing anything bad like that, ma'am."

"Ma'am?" I demanded. That was new.

He nervously cleared his throat. "Miss? Sir? Uh, I guess, just... nothing."

"You don't have to be so terrified. Your sweat is getting on my wrists. I was joking when I said I would peel your skin off." He finished unhooking my handcuffs. "I would go right for the eyes."

"Thank you. I think. Just act natural," he said, as if he were practicing what he preached. "This isn't, I'm not . . ."

I should have realized it sooner. It took the arrival of some quite interesting others in an unwashed black car before I realized what was happening.

This copycat killer was the best thing that had happened to me in years.

xxx

"You look awful," said my savior. I stepped out of the car while slapping away the hand of a man trying to help me. "I didn't know it was possible to get crow's feet so young."

"I had no idea," I smoothly replied. "Mirrors are dangerous in the hands of some people."

"That explains a lot."

"Stop stepping towards me; I am not going to hug you."

"I wasn't planning on it. I was approaching you in order to stab you."

"Sexy."

"I knew I would regret saving you."


	7. Daddy

**AN:** _Thank you so much to sinking like stones, BabydollEyelashes, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, FanfictionVillainess, cranapplesurprise, KawaiiEyeliner, smokeandshadowfeels, Koka Kola Veins, turtleducksymphony, Oh You in that Dress, holmesfreak1412, Madness-and-Corona, illegalsweaters, hotlips29, korrasarmyy, Fake Nails Real Heart, MissHarloweGold, jonissbouquet, xxlunareclipseoftheheartxx, haylE15, Streetlight Eyes, the-yellow-rose-girl and SuperlustrousRainstorm for reviewing._

 _And super thank you so much to my beta electric gurrl!_

 _A note: I reversed the POV order in this chapter due to chronology._

* * *

Chapter Nine  
Daddy

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

After my flight from prison, I was taken to an estate of some sort. The gravel driveway crackled beneath my feet as I followed my old accomplice inside.

Mai was not who I imagined would help me. She was absolutely integral to locking me up, and I fantasized about clawing her throat open. But, luckily or unluckily, I knew she was a resource I could not waste over petty revenge.

As soon as we stepped inside of the musky manor, my first question was, "Do you have Izumi?"

"No," said Mai with a sigh. "But you're not the first person who's asked me that this week."

I smirked. Oh, I knew at once that it was my list of suspects that led to her discomfort.

"You did date my brother," I purred. "Maybe you were jealous of Katara."

"I'm not even replying to that, and, before you ask, I don't know who has her, and neither does anyone else here," Mai said, shutting the door behind us.

The click made me flinch and I did not notice my surroundings for it. "Anyone else here?"

"Azula Pyralis, meet your fan-club… or something."

I glanced around and saw only admiring eyes.

Perhaps I really was born lucky, like dear daddy told me.

xxx

 _It was spring break of my freshman year and it had been raining for days. My skin was sticky with sweat from the unseasonal humidity. I was in the airport with my brother, whom believed he was in charge. He was not, and he would never be. I was the good child, I was the sole benefactor, I was the clever one._

 _I knew better than to try to hug my father when I saw him._

 _Zuko went to stay with his friend in Arizona. It was sunny there and I loathed him for it, but my father took me to one of our three vacation homes. We were alone there and I did not know if I liked it._

 _I was... concerned about many things._

 _At dinner, right after we finished unpacking, he said, "I know."_

 _We sat at a shiny, barely-used dining room table. It could not be more ominous, and now I was certain I was going to be locked up for the rest of my life or worse. My heart began to pound, but I slowed it. It was my father; the consequences would be mild, right?_

 _"_ _Know what?" I lightly asked. It could be nothing. I hoped it was nothing._

 _"_ _I'm not angry. I want to help you," he said._

 _"_ _I dislike therapists," I whispered._

 _He smiled at me, and I could not understand why._

 _"_ _That's not what I meant by help," he cryptically replied._

 _Despite the momentary confusion, on that evening my life began to make sense for the first time._

xxx

On the windowsill of my new bedroom, red dahlias grew from a stylish vase. They all were the color of blood, save for one that had not blossomed yet—that one was orange—and I thought they were a hilarious touch. I liked the bedroom, but I would like any bedroom after spending several years in the supermax wing of a federal prison.

I opened the drawers and found them stocked with clothes. They all suited me; these followers might not be as stupid as I previously assumed. The books on the shelf were all ones I had read, but they were a thoughtful touch.

The moment I grabbed a familiar novel, someone knocked on my door.

I was not in a bad mood, fortunately for them. Interruptions were always unwelcome.

When I opened the door, I quickly knew I would not have killed my guest. Save for the entire _betrayal_ that made me consider hunting her down and burning her to death limb by limb, I liked Mai. I also accepted her breaking me out of the prison she sent me into as a humble apology.

"What is it you want?" I demanded. Mai shrugged and shut the door behind her.

"Do you mean in general or right now at this moment?" Mai dryly inquired.

"Both," was my decision.

"I'm going to flip this on you. What is it that _you_ want?" Mai sat down with her legs crossed, amber eyes digging into me.

She was such a good follower, but something resembling a friend too. I loved it. Perhaps I would wait to make her pay for her betrayal.

"I want at this moment for someone to send my brother flowers," I mused, tapping my fingers on the arm of the sofa. "I want in general for someone to find my niece and whoever took her."

"Why?" asked Mai, cocking an eyebrow. It was quite the facial expression for her.

"The flowers to rattle—perhaps terrify—dear ZuZu. As for my niece, I intend to murder that cute little copycat killer. I think my biggest fan would appreciate that end to their existence." I sighed and sat down.

"It's ironic, I'll give you that," she said, almost laughing.

"Not just ironic. They have crossed the line on a number of levels and I want to get to them before they are given a _trial_ and a _prison sentence."_

Mai was silent and I was silent.

She finally did speak up and offer the rhetorical question, "What kind of flowers?"

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

It literally seemed like something out of a nightmare. I had a number of bad dreams about my dad or sister breaking out of prison, but nothing I felt after waking from one of them could hold a candle to what I was experiencing right now.

I was sitting on my living room couch, exactly where I got the news on Izumi, and I was surrounded by police officers, yet again. These ones were supposed to protect me at all hours now that my psycho little sister was on the loose.

When Ty Lee entered the room, I expected her to be sobbing, but for once since Izumi was kidnapped, she wasn't. She was. . . smiling.

"Why are you not terrified?" I demanded, shoving my phone down on the couch cushion. "She's gonna kill me! She broke out of jail and she's gonna kill me!"

"She isn't gonna kill you because she isn't an idiot. That would be the fastest way for her to get caught," Ty Lee said, her smile not fading. I couldn't believe it. "You should probably still be worried about her followers, though."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're happy, but _why_ are you happy?" I asked.

"I'm not happy. I guess I'm not, at least. But you don't have to worry about her," Ty Lee said before walking across the room to sit beside me. I took her hand in mine, but she did not react to it.

"My dad is criminally insane and my sister is criminally insane; am I criminally insane?" I blurted out.

Ty Lee pretended to think about it.

"I don't know yet. Is Izumi?" Ty Lee asked innocently. It didn't feel very innocent, however.

"What kind of question is that?" I exclaimed, startling the officer nearest to me.

"Just a thought." Ty Lee tore her hand away from mine. "Your family is kind of fucked up."

"I hadn't noticed," I said, sighing. "This is only going to take resources away. We need everyone focused on bringing Izumi home."

Ty Lee took a deep breath. I found it strange. I found _her_ strange today.

"She's been… gone a while. We don't even know if she's still alive," Ty Lee whispered, squeezing my hand. I yanked it away.

That shocked me to the core. That angered me to the core.

"Why would you say that?" I shouted, glaring at her. She shook her head at me.

"I don't know." Ty Lee hastily left and I sighed.

I thought I was at slight peace before I heard sarcastic applause behind me.

"You are husband of the year," Chief Beifong said, laughing.

"Why are _you_ laughing? Why is everyone laughing but me? This is not a—" I froze.

"Not a…?" asked Chief Beifong.

Under my breath, I replied, "Notalaughingmatter."

"Somebody sent you flowers. Don't worry; we checked them out for poison or prints already." She set down a pricey arrangement on my coffee table.

Dark red dahlias. They were the color of blood, save for a solitary orange blossom. I picked up the odd one out and saw it had yet to bloom.

"You can trace this, can't you?" I asked.

Chief Beifong did not say a word.

And so I said, "I need to talk to my father."

xxx

On the drive to the prison, I keep reminding myself why I should not be doing this. Then I think of Izumi and her big gold eyes and her small hands and her _need to live_. She didn't have a life yet. She couldn't die, and I would literally chop off my right arm for her to survive.

Ozai Pyralis is the worst man who ever lived, in my humble opinion. Azula is bad, but he made her that way. Or at least she got it from him. The psychopath gene that I really hope missed me. My mom is a good person; I tried to keep that in mind.

Father would spend a lot of time with Azula. I was never allotted any. He would take her places. I was never allowed to tag along.

Their _hunting trips_ , I later learned, were not the kind of activity I would enjoy.

I don't personally think he had much to do with Azula's actual reign of terror. He encouraged her tendencies since she was little, but the Blue Dahlia was the Blue Dahlia. He was pegged with obstruction of justice and something about her final murder.

The one I tried not to think about.

This would be... interesting.


	8. Cheaters

**AN:** _Thank you so much to ThisUnitHasNoSoul, whitesatinblacksilk, GlamorizedLevis, Powder Gangers Go, Koka Kola Veins, Fake Nails Real Heart, smokeandshadowfeels, Tyzula-Forever, dove-white-stripes, illegalsweaters, MissHarloweGold, Madness-and-Corona, HeavenBesideYou13, FanfictionVillainess, bubblybunnybabe, American Zombie, delictabledahlia, SlytherinSchoolgirl, DearLemonLima, Neon Dandelion, YouNeverCanTell and cranapplesurprise for reviewing!_

 _And super thank you to my beta electric gurrl!_

 _Note: I deleted and rewrote this chapter because I tried a shift in style/tense/etc. to differentiate the siblings' POVs more, but the change in tone was too jarring when compared to earlier chapters._

* * *

Chapter Ten  
Cheaters

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I never left my room at the mansion, save for giving an order or two. The house was overstocked with adoring people who desperately wanted to see me, touch me or breathe the same air I did, yet all I desired anymore is to be alone. The only person I bothered spending time with was my dear untrustworthy former best friend, Mai, and I was not certain why. I should have trusted her far less than any of these devout wackos, but here she is, watching an Eli Roth marathon with me in my bedroom.

I had been outlining numerous plans in a binder for the past two hours. Suddenly something hit me and I turned to Mai.

"I've noticed something about all of the people who seem excited to die for me. Do you know what? I have an incredible superpower, Mai," I proudly said, unable to suppress my smug smirk. "Did you notice? It has become very evident recently."

Mai paused the movie and looked up at me, her eyes glistening yet apathetic. She always was very complicated and intriguing. She was my favorite doll for an extended period of time because of her resilience. I wanted to break that spirit.

"You never change, do you?" she asked, rolling her eyes. She looked tired of me, but I knew she was not.

"Maybe I have arrested development." I smirked at my own wit as she pretends to gag.

"Is your gift making terrible puns?" she whispered, sounding nigh amused.

"No, and that was an _excellent_ pun," I smoothly replied, setting down my binder and reclining on the couch. "My gift is making people do whatever I want them to do. I have such an opportunity now that I have no restrictions around me. It is thrilling."

"I'm disturbed by something," asked Mai, turning her body to face me. I found it difficult to ignore her breathing or the rise and fall of her chest.

"Mhm?" I asked, studying her every involuntary move.

"You haven't said anything about what I did to you," Mai said. I found it quite strange for her to openly speak about _feelings_ or her own mistakes.

"Be more specific," I said, despite knowing exactly what she means.

"I testified against you," Mai explained and I locked eyes with her. She did not even sweat; I decided that her fearlessness was almost impressive.

"You made up for it by breaking me out of prison," I saccharinely lied.

Mai saw through it, like she always could. "I want to believe that, but I can't."

"You were always the smart one." I softly touched her shoulder. "Not quite as smart as me, but compared to Ty Lee or my brother…"

Mai sat frozen, thinking for a few moments while I watched and waited for her answer. "For your whole life, you never saw any repercussions for your actions. You even got out of infractions for wearing the wrong uniform socks. I wanted you to face consequences for once, and I don't regret it."

"If you don't regret it, why would go through all of this trouble for me?" I asked, now truly curious. I had yet to put the pieces together.

"I didn't have much of a choice," said Mai, even though there was _always_ a choice in life. I devoutly subscribed to that philosophy. "I wouldn't have done any of it if someone didn't literally put a gun to my head."

I picked at my nails, bored by her. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you'll find it out sooner or later, and I want you to hear it from me," Mai said. I wanted to believe that, but I could not.

"You appear to be the leader of my followers," I remarked, cocking an eyebrow. Something about her was _off_ , and I considered it my mission to uncover the truth. Secrets were lies, after all.

"They idolize me for playing with you in preschool." Mai shrugged. "I took advantage of that."

"How very like you. You are such a talented opportunist," I commented, smirking. "I suppose you never change either."

"I want to help you," Mai said, and I could see she meant it. "I have no fucking idea why but I do. I guess if you're charming enough, you never really have to pay for what you do to people."

"You think I'm charming?" I playfully inquired, stopping just short of winking at her. The moment was not exactly hot, but certainly _steamy._

"Who doesn't?" Mai said, merely stating a fact. "You're one of those sexy murderers that only exist in fiction."

"I am real." I leaned towards her until I could feel that inescapable breathing. "I am very real, and you are very real, and this is very real."

"Well, that sucks, because I was kind of hoping it was a nightmare," Mai said, swallowing and skipping a breath, and I could see she is just trying to end the eerie moment.

I ended it the proper way; I kissed her softly on the lips. She kissed me back until she swiftly, vigorously pulled away.

"What was that?" Mai hissed, showing a spark of emotion. I loved it when I made her do that.

"I would give you the cliché, _'Oh, I misread that,'_ but I didn't. We both know I didn't." I yet again confined myself to the left side of the couch and returned my eyes to the television screen. "Are we going to watch this movie or not?"

I picked my binder back up and resumed scrawling riddles on index cards while an actress screamed and pleaded for her life.

xxx

I woke up alone.

Of course, I was always lonely in my prison cell and went without noticing it, but in this big, soft bed, I had trouble coping with that bitterness. I could sleep with countless girls, gay or straight, but I only wanted one of them. It was poetic, in a way.

I dreamed about her. It seemed only natural when I fell asleep thinking about coming home from work and hearing her taking her infamous hour-long shower. She wanted kids; I gave her cats. We had a beautiful home and took beautiful vacations and were a beautiful couple of two beautiful women.

Despite having years to think about it, I had never been able to understand what Zuko offered that I did not.

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

Chief Beifong insisted on meeting me at the prison that held my father. I found her presence frustrating, but I liked the idea of someone good with a gun being around me. On top of that, I was starting to feel like we are in this together. She made me think that maybe I could save my daughter.

"How do you aim a gun so well when you can't see?" I asked her as security guards patted us down.

"I don't want to be friends, Senator Pyralis," Chief Beifong brusquely said, stepping away from a guard and waving her hand at him. He did not even reprimand her, maybe because she was a police chief or something, or maybe because she was terrifying. "I'm letting you ride along with me on this case because you're the closest damn thing we have to an expert on The Blue Dahlia, not because I like you or because you're good at anything I can appreciate. I would say buckle up, but I'm not a fan of seatbelts."

"Right," I said, because I didn't know how to respond to that. "You can call me Zuko."

"I won't," Toph replied curtly, striding into the visitor's center and lingering by the door. "You go talk to your dad. I'll pretend I'm not listening."

I followed the directions of an officer and sat down at a table. Waiting for my father was intense and made my heart race and my stomach hurt, like I had to show him a failing grade on a math test or something. He finally arrived and that nervousness intensified. He did not look like he aged a day, even in captivity. I hated that, because I wanted him to live in eternal torment.

He always said I was unlucky, and he was right about that.

Ozai sat down across from me. I stared at him, at a loss for words for a moment.

"She broke out of prison," I said.

"I know. It's been on the news for days. If you think I know where Azula is, you are sadly mistaken," Ozai Pyralis replied.

"I don't want to talk to you about right now, though. I want to talk to you about the past," I stated.

He glared at me, but said, "I'm unfortunately listening."

"Did you know what she was before she was exposed?"

Ozai laughed. I wished I could legally knock his lights out. "I _made_ her what she was, and she surpassed my expectations."

"You killed people." I never knew it until Azula murdered my wife.

"Yes. Why do you think your mother left me?" he said, and I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. He never had a real sense of humor, so I thought he was serious.

"She never said anything about it," I snapped.

"No, she didn't." Ozai looked like he thought that should be obvious. I had no idea how it could be. "Do you wonder if your wife knew _what she was_ , as you put it?"

I felt sick when he said that about Ty Lee. She was a beautiful, good thing in this world, and I would not allow anyone to question that. "I don't think so."

"Do you wonder if she helped her?" He sounded like he thought about that more than once.

"No. Ty Lee wouldn't do that," I vehemently replied, balling up one of my fists.

"How well do you even know her? I know you slept with her while she was still your sister-in-law, but that doesn't make you an expert. Isn't it curious that she only prompted that investigation when she was about to leave Azula for you?"

"She said she thought Azula was cheating on her, and that's how she found out." I wondered how many more times in my life I'd have to say that.

"Of course. She seems too stupid to be a liar, doesn't she? You know what I wonder sometimes? I wonder if your wife knew about that affair when she died. If she thought maybe you would never rescue her because you loved someone else more than her. If anything, Azula probably told her before her last moments."

 _Azula said, "You took away the only woman I have ever loved; so I took away yours. It's only fitting that I get caught committing the one murder that's a crime of passion. I got greedy, but it was worth it. This is worth it. Being imprisoned for the rest of my life is worth her expression when I explained why I was killing her."_

I almost punched my father in the face before I composed myself. I had to take a big breath and swallow my rage. Looking around the visitor's center did not help at all; Azula told me those things while sitting behind Plexiglas. I would never forget those words.

Something hit me, however, when I thought about Azula's satisfied expression that day.

"I need to talk to Chief Beifong. Thank you for your help, father." I stood up and walked away without looking back.

Once Toph and I were in the lobby, I turned to her. She did not turn her face to me, or meet my eyes, which had become oddly normal by now. I didn't even notice she was blind anymore. To anyone who didn't know, she just looked like the kind of person who wore sunglasses inside.

"What?" Chief Beifong asked.

"Azula's final murder wasn't for the same reasons as her original thirty-one. She killed because she liked killing, except for the last time," I said, tripping over my tongue from sheer excitement.

"Spit it out," Toph snapped, sharply sighing.

"She killed my wife because I was sleeping with hers," I said, but then I realized I needed to come clean. It was daunting. No, that felt wrong, even if I knew it was right. "I've done some things I regret as a politician. I've had to make hard choices that aren't always the right ones."

"Did you kill somebody's kid?" Toph asked, not looking surprised in the slightest.

"No!" I exclaimed, gathering stares from around the room. I cleared my throat and lowered my voice. "Not exactly. I made a mistake when I was a teenager. I only found out years later."

"Just say what you need to say," Toph ordered. "This place smells weird and I want to leave."

"When I was sixteen. . ." The words stuck in my throat, but I had to cough them up this time. "I got my girlfriend pregnant. My father paid her off—he had done it for himself more than once—and she broke up with me. I thought she had broken up with me because she hated me or something, but then Azula told me what my father did, and he came clean when I confronted him. I don't know what happened to her."

Toph perked up when she heard that. It felt good to know that she also thought this could be a lead. Or maybe the two of us had gotten desperate. I hoped it was the first one. "Do you think your high school girlfriend was capable of murder?"

"I don't know. Is she on that list of suspects you refuse to show me?" I didn't mean to sound so cranky, but I didn't care either.

"Tell me her name," ordered the police chief.

"Asami Sato."

Chief Beifong seemed strongly affected by those two words.

I found out why when she said, "She's on the list."

xxx

"I want to go to the store," Ty Lee said to me the moment I woke up in the morning. It felt like it could be a normal day in our normal home until I recalled that Izumi was in the hands of a psycho. That was how every morning went. Each day was good until I opened my eyes. "The police won't let me. Do something about it!"

I didn't have a good response.

"They're here to protect us," I replied, squeezing her hand. She pushed me away and stood up.

"I need out of this house. Zuko, get me out of this house," Ty Lee said, shrill, frantic. Her skin was sweaty and sallow. "There's stuff I need to do."

I stared at my feet for a few seconds.

"I'll talk to them," I promised.

I found an officer and got her cleared to go shop. It helped her feel better, and I would not deny her that.

After that, my morning headache worsened and so I tried to find some Advil. The medicine cabinet was empty, and so I dig through my bedside table drawer. Again, I come up short, and so I move to Ty Lee's. It was left ajar and I could see notes sticking out of it. It was so blatant that I thought Ty Lee left it open on purpose to attract my attention.

When I shook it open, I saw the entirety of the index cards stained with blue ink. I couldn't help but pick them up and begin to read. Ty Lee must have wanted me too, the way she left them out in the open. They were all riddles, riddles in very familiar handwriting. The one tucked deepest into the drawer, however, was written plainly.

 _Meet me at the Lyon's Inn, 9 AM, 8/17._

xxx

"That place closed down two years ago," said Chief Beifong as I nervously drove. We had to get there in time; I couldn't lose Ty Lee too. "I guess it's a good meeting place. It's out on a private beach far away from the city and completely abandoned."

"We have other officers to help us, right?" I asked, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants.

"Eventually, yeah," Toph replied. It was not the most comforting thing somebody has ever said to me.

"What do you mean by eventually?" I asked, noticing the dilapidated sign for the Lyon's Inn. The letters were scratched and faded, but still legible.

"That we're checking the place out before I call in backup," Toph said and my heart skipped a beat. I would feel way more confident facing my sister with a small army at my side.

I didn't see Ty Lee's car, but I knew there was something to that note. There had to be.

We got out and walked to the front door. It was locked, but the window to the left of it was broken, so I climbed in that way. I offered assistance to Chief Beifong but she declined. Rude as she was, I had to admit that she certainly could maneuver obstacles well for a blind woman.

It was dark inside of the barren, dusty building and I waited for Toph to get out a flashlight before realizing how ridiculous that was. I just tried to stay close to her and close to the windows. They were so dusty that the bright sunlight barely trickled inside. Any shadow or flicker of movement could be my sister waiting to pounce on us.

We began walking up the stairs when I heard a woman screaming.

 _"_ _Please help!"_ screamed what must be my wife. I started to run before Chief Beifong could stop me.

This couldn't happen again. I couldn't et this happen again.

" _Please help!_ "

"I'm coming!" I bellowed. I heard footsteps behind me and hoped they belonged to the police chief.

I reached the fourth story, where a lamp illuminated the shadowy hallway.

 _"_ _Please!"_

She sobbed this time, and I ran and tugged on every single door. They all were locked. Finally, I reached one that opens. The sobbing was loudest from inside, and I burst in to see...

A stereo. I reached forward and pressed the pause button. The wailing stopped. I pushed play. It started again.

God, I was stupid.

This time, I _knew_ the footsteps behind me were not Chief Beifong. They were too light.

"I cannot believe that actually worked, ZuZu. You always were gullible, but _really_? That isn't even her voice. It's a recording from an Eli Roth _movie_. That somehow makes it sadder," Azula purred, as arrogant as ever.

I very slowly turned around and see my sister. She wore a blue hoodie and skinny jeans. I had never seen her dressed below business casual since she was about nine, and so I noticed the outfit before the machete in her hand. For some reason, a knife scared me way more than if she had a gun. It meant a much slower and more painful death. Toph had to be nearby; she had to hear Azula. Please let her walk in on this.

"Where is she?" I demanded. "Where's Ty Lee?"

"I have no reason to tell you that," she said with a sly smirk. I hated her. I have never hated her so much. "Maybe she is dead, maybe she is waiting for me in my car, maybe I drugged her and locked her in one of these rooms... maybe she never even came to meet me today."

"What do you want from me?" I snarled, clenching both of my fists. She laughed faintly. Her overconfidence made me sick.

She looked me up and down, undeterred by my aggressive posture. "A number of things. Why don't you settle in and we can talk?"

I saw Chief Beifong behind my sister and my spirits soared.

"Yeah. He's gonna need to take a raincheck on that. Like, for when you're back behind bars," said Toph, touching the barrel of the gun to Azula's back.

"I see that you outsmarted me," she purred, which gives me chills. She must have known I would have brought the police. Why would she risk that? "I surrender with honor. Go on; cuff me or shoot me. Whichever you are in the mood for."

Despite Chief Beifong remaining in position, I stepped forward. Suddenly, the room went up in smoke and I heard Chief Beifong scream over the ringing in my ears. An _explosion_. I expected something with more finesse from her.

I did not stop to check on Toph, as much as I wanted to. I could hear Azula running, about to escape, and I raced after the footsteps. I chased her up the stairs and caught sight of that blue hoodie. She ran towards the window and then stopped, cornered.

Azula thought she could escape any situation. It was satisfying to see her trap herself.

The woman in the dark blue hoodie and jeans turned around.

I gulp when I see that it was not Azula; it was a blue-eyed blonde with a mocking smile.

She stepped backwards out of the open window and I heard the crack of her bones on the pavement.


	9. Absent

**AN:** _Thank you so much to BabydollEyelashes, A Kingdom of Isolation, Fake Nails Real Heart, splendorousfire, SquishyBijou, Madness-and-Corona, Don't Touch My Walkman, Guest, SlytherinSchoolgirl, DearLemonLima, YouNeverCanTell, MissHarloweGold, Distracted by Lemons, bubblybunnybabe, Powder Gangers Go, smokeandshadowfeels, FanfictionVillainess, SuperlustrousRainstorm, cranapplesurprise, Neon Dandelion, electric gurrl, KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, sinking like stones, Guest, and Tyleepoof._

 _And super thank you to my beta electric gurrl!_

* * *

Chapter Nine  
Absent

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I returned back to the house while in a suspended state of bliss. Time no longer seemed to exist around me; I moved in a smooth, carefree blur. As I stepped onto the driveway, I noticed how I never could get past how _many_ people were devoted to me on such a passionate level. Of course, I knew I was charismatic and used to fantasize openly about starting a cult, but I never thought it would stem from a series of murders.

My followers stared at me without saying a word. They were frightened, and they should be.

"Was your trip fun?" loudly said Mai, emerging from the shadows like a ghost.

I turned to her and forced myself to smile. My charm would win her over, even if she pretended as if she could see through it. Mai was not as strong as she believed herself to be.

"Yes, it was," I sweetly replied, gesturing for my old best friend to follow me up the stairs. "She swapped the cards like I asked. I wasn't aware I still had such power over that woman. Although, I should have known; she's Ty Lee. She's nothing without me, now is she?"

"Do you think she'll show up tomorrow?" Mai asked, even though I _knew_ she was as certain as I was. I thought perhaps she feared conversation, and once we were alone in the upstairs hallway, I became certain that she did.

"I hope so," I said, twisting my weathered brass bedroom doorknob. "Now, will you join me for another round of movies tonight? I'm thinking Wes Craven. Eli Roth is too heavy for me. If I want realism, I'll capture and torture people for myself. And, again, why do they cut people up in such _grungy_ places? Honestly, it's not hard to keep your damned lair clean, and I doubt they have the foresight to give their victims antibiotics."

Mai laughed, and I felt more at ease. I was not proud of kissing her, even if she made it clear that I _should_. I thought mentioning the movies would make me feel better about it, but it instead made everything worse.

"I don't think it would occur to most people to give their victims antibiotics," Mai dryly remarked, not showing a flicker of emotion. Despite that, one could cut the tension with a butter knife.

"You don't want them to die of infection before you're finished, now do you?" I asked, shutting my bedroom door again and leaning against it. Mai hovered three steps away from me, seemingly incapable of moving any closer.

"I thought you kept your lair clean," Mai retorted. Her fingers were sweaty and her hair gleamed at the ends; she was more uncomfortable than I was.

"Hospitals are clean, and they still give them," I said, smoothly brushing my dark hair behind my ear. "Now, Wes Craven?"

Mai froze. I had not seen her do that since I left prison.

"I'm tired tonight," she whispered, still as still as a statue.

" _Mai,_ it is four in the afternoon. If this is because I kissed you…" I cocked an eyebrow for emphasis.

"It is," Mai softly admitted. I had to say I found her honesty refreshing. Most people were too afraid to tell me the truth if they thought I did not want to hear it.

"You never were scared of me, were you? It is remarkable. I don't know anyone else with such an uncanny superpower. Now come watch with me. I have spent enough time in solitary confinement to last a lifetime." I twisted the knob again, but did not open the door.

Mai loosely gestured around her. We were alone upstairs, but I knew what she meant.

"You have your pick of slumber party buddies," she said.

I played a rare card and whispered, "Don't make me say please. I hate that word."

The lie worked, because Mai rubbed her arm and then pointedly sighed. I opened the door and walked inside, Mai following. She set up the television in silence as I shut the door and sat behind her.

"So, I imagine Zuko was disappointed," she said as she located the remote. "He always wanted to be a hero."

I smiled to myself. Zuko was a ceaseless source of entertainment to me. "I always wanted to be a villain. Sometimes I don't know if we are related or not. Pour us drinks."

"I guess you really do hate that word. I'll do it."

 **xxx**

"You should pace yourself, Azula. When's the last time you drank?" Mai asked. I was three—I think three—glasses into a bottle of expensive wine and I should not be drunk. I did not _get_ drunk.

"I don't remember," I said, thinking I was speaking clearly. Mai's expression said otherwise. Did Mai make expressions? Maybe I _was_ drunk. "Don't ask stupid questions."

"I'm so glad I agreed to this," Mai fearlessly said. "The great Azula Pyralis is sloshed and watching _A Nightmare on Elm Street_."

"It's like middle school all over again." I turned and tumbled. Mai caught me before I could fall off of the couch and I had never felt so humiliated. "This movie is so boring. Let's go all out on this middle school thing and tell secrets."

"Just remember that anything you say to me can and will be used against you in a court of law," Mai said. Her face was slightly blurry.

" _Mai_ , that was a joke. I didn't know you could _make_ jokes," I said, touching my old friend's shoulder. "Do you feel bad about sending me to jail?"

"You would've gone anyway. There was some pretty damning evidence," replied Mai. "You should be way more mad at Ty Lee for testifying against you. You loved her."

"I still do," I said without hesitation. "Was that a secret?"

"No, no, it wasn't. Do you think she still loves you?" Mai waited patiently as I tried to make my mind work.

"She got all-all dressed up to come visit me, but that might've been to maybe do something. What was she trying to do? She was trying to make me find Izumi. Yeah, that. So, I think she was trying to play me, but I want to find that little brat really badly," I said.

Mai leaned back and asked, "Do you have a hunch?"

I shook my head. It made my brain hurt.

"No. I don't," I said, waving my hand. It nearly knocked me off balance again. Maybe I had lost track of my core. "I have a list but I've seen half the people on it and they would brag about it to me. I don't know."

"Maybe it was Ty Lee," Mai said, making me laugh. She _could_ make jokes.

"She couldn't," I said on the off chance she was serious. "She doesn't have the stomach for it."

"Unless she's not the copycat. Maybe Izumi wasn't taken by the copycat, and that's why she hasn't turned up tortured to death." Mai sounded like a kid in their second week of college, so certain they had figured out the whole world. It amused me.

"But why would the copycat stop killing?" I demanded.

"They didn't, Azula," Mai whispered, setting down her glass on the chafed wooden coffee table. "Katara's brother showed up dead within the time frame that Izumi had been kidnapped. Another body might show up tomorrow. You don't know."

"You need to write this down so I remember it when I'm sober." I blinked as fast as I could to try to make the room stop failing. It was to no avail. "Tell me a secret. Go ahead."

"You know everything about me already. I haven't done much in the years you've been locked up."

"Go on. There has to be something."

"I've never killed someone," Mai said, very softly and very slowly.

I was both shocked and amused. " _Mai_. You cannot be serious."

"I haven't."

"Do you want to?" I inquired before I solved the problem. "You should come with me when I meet Ty Lee. I was planning on making the news with a brand new body."

"That might make finding the copycat a bit harder for you."

"Not if I know that it was you who killed them, stupid. It'll sure as fuck throw off the cops. They're way too busy looking for me and Izumi to find some loser who isn't even original enough to come up with a new way to kill people."

"So, you buy into my theory about Izumi?"

"I don't know. I'm kidding-kidding when I say that they aren't original. They're somebody who's looking for recognition. Izumi would bring them way more recognition than anybody else. So, unless they have another high profile target in mind, they would have a reason to kidnap her."

"Well, I hope whoever has her is giving her antibiotics."

"That is uncalled for. I really like-liked her when she was little. She always wanted to be just like me. I did kill her mother, but I would _never_ harm her."

"You're so logical."

"More than you. You never have made any sense to me."

"You really _are_ drunk. Aren't you? I'm going to help you to your bed before you say anything else crazy like that."

I let her lift me up. She half-carried me across the room and steadied me just short of the bed. Clearly, she did not want to be anywhere near it with me, as if we were guaranteed to fuck.

Maybe we were.

I kissed her again, and she didn't resist this time. When I reached for the hem of her shirt, however, she seemed to change her mind. It was becoming tiring.

"You're in love with Ty Lee," she bluntly explained.

"She's not here," I whispered.

I finished taking off her shirt and we stumbled back towards the bed.

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

The blonde who fell from the window was still alive. She was severely injured and had to be taken to the hospital, but she could talk.

Yet, despite my need to find answers, I was more concerned about Chief Beifong. She was in a hospital bed, unconscious. Earlier I sat in the waiting room as she was in surgery, trying to contact Ty Lee to no avail, and feeling like a cheater all over again when I realized how hard it was to focus on her when the police chief—who, mind you, hated me—was in critical condition.

My sister stabbed her in the chest, but she was alive. I figured somebody as stubborn as Chief Beifong was pretty impossible to kill. Still, she _could_ have died, and that enraged me. I'd never dealt with anger very well and might actually hurt the blonde. That didn't scare me as much as it should.

I forced myself to get up and decided to lie to the cops in the hall.

"I'm a consultant on this case," I said, which was partially true, "and Chief Beifong needs me to talk to the blonde girl."

"Ariadne Kuno. That's the blonde girl's name. Right this way, Senator Pyralis," said the officer I didn't bother to ask the name of.

I wasn't going to torture some cute little girl who fell in with the wrong crowd, but I had to do _something_. She _knew_ about Azula; she had to if they dressed up as twins in order to trick me.

My wife wasn't answering my calls. Nobody cared what I had to say. Ty Lee was still missing. Azula really could have her. Maybe Ty Lee _did_ get there right before me. Maybe the screaming wasn't from a movie. Azula lied about everything under the sun. Why wouldn't she lie to psych me out? She had done so a thousand times before.

I followed him into the heavily guarded hospital room. Ariadne Kuno was freshly patched up by the doctors herself. Azula stabbed her, but she was out of bed within ten minutes to continue investigating the case.

I walked inside alone. Ariadne was awake, but looked like a wreck. Her eyes were still drooping from anesthesia and painkillers.

"Who even are you?" I demanded and her expression soured. She didn't want to be alive; that much I could tell.

"I heard your girlfriend had to be rushed to emergency surgery. Will she live?" she asked, smiling. She smiled and smiled and I wondered how someone so wicked could do that.

"She is so far from my girlfriend," I snarled. "I have a wife, and so I can't have a girlfriend."

"I watch the news, Senator Pyralis," she said, grinning toothily now. "You cheated on your first wife. Why not the second?"

My hand twitched; I was ready to lunge at her, but then I heard the breathing of the cops standing right outside. I definitely would get locked out of this case forever if I followed this impulse.

"Look, you just threw yourself out of a window for a woman who left you behind to die," I growled through clenched teeth.

"I agreed to do it. No one forced me," calmly said Ariadne. "I have no regrets and no resentment."

"That's real dedication." I scoffed, not believing her. "What about my darling sister is just so remarkable and perfect that you would lay down your life for her to have some fun?"

Ariadne launched into, "I went through a really hard time two years ago. She saved my life."

"That's hard to believe." It was quite unlike Azula to _save_ people; usually it was the opposite.

"No, it's not. I was going to kill myself before I talked to her. I borrowed two years of life from her. _Borrowed_." Ariadne spoke so smoothly and confidently. It was odd.

I thought that was extremely disturbing, but I had heard crazier things about Azula's fans.

"Well, you obviously aren't meant to die yet. If you survived that fall and survived your own brain, maybe there's a reason that you're still breathing. I have been there more than once. Dying becomes a more pleasing fantasy than sex or fame or anything else. You stub your toe and think about it. But perseverance is a really good quality. It's my only good quality, actually. I think you have it too."

Ariadne coughed and then whimpered. When she regained her composure, she said, "You're not a very scary interrogator."

"I'm not an interrogator. I'm a senator. But I do want to ask you a few questions. Did she really capture my wife?" I asked, sitting down on one of the two plastic chairs.

"Maybe you should call your wife and see." She smiled again. "Or did she turn off her phone? I think some people are just born dishonest and flighty and incapable of keeping their pants on."

"Your boyfriend cheated on you," I announced, laughing. "That's why you wanted to kill yourself."

She pouted mockingly. "Do you think so?"

"I feel terrible about what I did," I said fiercely for the eight thousandth time. "It haunts me every day."

"It only haunts you because your wife died. You wouldn't give a damn if you divorced her or kept it up behind her back. I took care of those demons and I've felt at peace since then. I don't fantasize about death anymore. I just have some semblance of _honor_."

Then it hit me. Azula told her what to say if she was captured. There was a huge chance that Ariadne _wouldn't_ die from her fall.

"None of what you just said is true," I said. "You weren't supposed to die, were you?"

Ariadne just smiled, and that was the last thing I got out of her before my phone rang.

I stepped outside of the room. It was Ty Lee. I didn't want to answer it. It was likely that it would be Azula calling, but I forced myself to pick up. To my massive relief, it wasn't my sister.

"I turned my phone off," she said. "I'm sorry. You were on the news and I didn't know—I didn't know she lured you there."

"How did she get in our house?" I whispered, cupping my mouth.

"How did the person who kidnapped Izumi?" Ty Lee replied.

"Good point."

 **xxx**

I woke up in the morning and saw Ty Lee sitting in front of her vanity table. She was swirling a make-up brush around in a circular box of tan stuff. Over and over and over again with her eyes completely checked out.

"Are you scared?" I asked and she closed her mouth and focused her eyes on the mirrors. "It's okay if you are. I'm still pretty freaked out."

"I'm a little bit scared. Zuko, I… I put those cards where you would find them." She lowered her voice to an ashamed whisper and said, "Look on my bedside table."

I nervously turned and picked up a bent and worn index card. It looked like Ty Lee had held it in her hands a thousand times, running her fingers on it, but the ink was identical to the fresh letters from Azula.

 _Switch the cards when you're done reading, and make sure he'll find them. You're a fantastic actress, aren't you?_

"What's she referring to? Me and the police read all of the letters."

"A ph-phone conversation," Ty Lee whispered.

"What? You have to give the number to Chief Beifong or somebody!" My heart was racing.

"It was blocked," Ty Lee squeaked, no longer even looking at my reflection, "but maybe the police can track it or something. You can borrow my phone today, but say you stole it. I don't know who's with her. Anybody could be."

"Of course I will, but why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"She said she wouldn't hurt you, but I don't know if I should've believed her. It could've been you who got stabbed."

"Does she have Izumi?"

"No. She's looking for Izumi. I don't know why."

I started getting ready. She did not leave her chair for a second. Finally, I had to ask.

"Did you help her because you love her?"

"Yes. I love her."

"Why? After everything she's done!"

"I don't know, okay? But I'm scared that I love her… more than you."

"Why?"

"I _said_ I don't know! I can't _unlove_ her, and so you should just get out."

I left before I could say anything I regretted.

 **xxx**

Chief Beifong was back in the police station before her wounds even healed. The hospital strongly advised her against it, but she got her way. She always seemed to, and I hated people like that. I kind of liked her, honestly, but I wasn't saying it anytime soon.

"Your old girlfriend is in Interrogation Room B. You're really late."

"I know. I got held up," I snapped. It was hard for me to leave my house this morning, knowing that I was leaving my very vulnerable wife there. She forced me out, though, and I knew it was vital to save our daughter.

"Overslept?" Chief Beifong stood up and started walking.

I followed her. We stopped right in front of the door.

"And how do we go through with this?" I asked.

"Just follow my lead, pretty boy," she snapped.

"Pretty—?" I rolled my eyes. "Those jokes get old."

"No, they don't." She casually walked inside and I stepped in after her.

Asami looked beautiful, as always. She had those striking green eyes that nobody could ever get over. You didn't stop seeing them. She also looked exhausted, but at least she wasn't in handcuffs. Deep down, I knew she couldn't do this, no matter what my dad made me think. There was a chance, at least a slight chance.

"Hi, Zuko," she said, smiling at me. She appeared innocent from the get-go, but I wasn't a detective. "I'm sorry about everything that's been happening to you."

"Shut up, sweetheart," Toph gruffly interjected. Asami blinked, shocked. "I'm not sorry about that. I'm tired. I was stabbed in the chest yesterday but I have to deal with this, and I'm in no mood for being all pleasant and having some cutesy small talk. Zuko's _child_ got abducted. You've been on my suspect list since before I knew about your little secret. Give me one reason not to arrest you."

I had to admit that was one of the most insane things I've ever seen.

"I guess because I have my own kid to worry about, and I couldn't ever hurt anybody else's," Asami warmly said.

I asked, "That's nice. Are you married now? Or, uh, sorry, that's a little old fashioned, but I just want you to be happy and all."

"No, it's not too old fashioned," Asami said, obviously lying this time. "Zuko, I should tell you something. Your dad said I could do whatever I wanted with the money. I kept her."

"Her…?" I didn't know exactly how to respond to being told that I had another daughter. Was there a way you were supposed to react? I was beginning to lose it.

"Why did you visit Azula Pyralis in prison?" Toph Beifong continued, not missing a beat. I guessed she did a bit of a background check, or at least was even harder to surprise than I thought.

"Why does that matter?" Asami asked.

"Do you live under a rock?" Toph snapped.

Asami sighed and backed down. "No, no, no. I get it. And I only visited her _once_ , because two or her cronies showed up and tried to hurt my daughter. She was the only person who knew about Diana and I had to do something."

 _Diana_. I wasn't supposed to be so distracted, but I was.

"Which is why she put you on the suspect list, I bet," Toph said, almost talking to herself. "Did you ever find out why about the cronies?"

"This was right before the copycat killings started," Asami answered. "They told me to be careful, and I kind of took it as a threat. I told them she wasn't his, and they believed me, as far as I know. I told his sister the same thing."

My eyes widened.

 **xxx**

I waited for Asami to be freed by Chief Beifong. Ty Lee wasn't answering my calls or texts yet and I was still freaking out. My head was in a thousand places at once and I was apparently hindering the investigation in Toph's words, not mine.

The room I was in was strangely quiet. I was sitting in Interrogation Room A while I waited. I needed to be alone and the police station was way too busy for me to hear myself think. Or, hear myself panic.

Chief Beifong at last walked in and I stared at my feet.

"So, that was a shocker," she remarked, the understatement of the century.

"Understatement of the century," I replied.

"You have a damned fucked up love life, don't you? She's okay. She didn't do it. I get why she was on the list, though," Toph said, shrugging. It drove me crazy that nothing seemed to bother her.

"Were they going to take her daughter?" burst from my mouth without my intentions. "Whoever kidnapped Izumi?"

"Maybe. I asked her to explain and write down anything she knew about the people who hunted her down and asked." Toph sat down and winced. It was the first time I ever saw her show pain.

"Sucks that she got the jump on you," I said, trying to be blunt. I knew she could probably see through it. Pun not intended.

"Yeah. Knives don't usually win gun fights, in my experience," Toph said. Her jaw was clenched. "There are always weird exceptions, though."

"I do have a fucked up love life." I buried my face in my hand. "I think my wife hates me."

"Any reason?" Toph asked, startlingly taking an interest.

"I wish I knew. Ariadne Kuno said something about Ty Lee's also fucked up love life," I said, trying to ignore us delving into something resembling a heart to heart.

"You think she's cheating on you?" Toph whispered.

"No. I think she's still in love with my sister, because she was. I think her exact words this morning were: _I can't unlove her, and so you should just get out_."

"I'm guessing you didn't oversleep, then." Toph laughed, but it was not her usual roar.

"Nope. Far from it. I didn't sleep at all. I was worried."

"About?"

"Take your pick. Everyone I care about seems to be on the verge of death lately."

Now she laughed her usual laugh. "Am I one of those?"

"No," I growled under my breath.

"Magic lie detecting powers. I'm _flattered_ ," Toph said, laughing again. This time she winced.

"You almost got killed because of me. Everyone seems to. Maybe I should just turn myself over to my sister or something."

She slapped me across the face, her fingernails nicking my burned skin. I didn't know how she found my face so well, but she did have an advantage in the dark.

"You are the sole stupidest person I have ever met!" Toph shouted. "That's what she wants, you idiot!"

"Yeah. She always gets what she wants," I said, not stepping down from my assertions.

Toph leaned in so close to me that I could feel her breath. "You know who else does? _Me_. And I want you more than she does."

"Aww. I'm flattered." I didn't have the same conviction that she had when she said that.

"I don't mean it that way. I mean that I want to catch this bastard and that bitch and save that little kid and get this ridiculous case over with so I can go to Hawaii or get a case with a less annoying partner," Toph said, moving away from me again.

My lips twitched. "I didn't know I was your partner."

She groaned. "Unfortunately, you are."

I leaned in and kissed her before I realized what I was doing. I recoiled faster than I had ever moved. That was one of the worst things I've ever done in my entire life.

But I did it again anyway.


	10. Name

**AN:** _Thank you so much to sinking like stones, SquishyBijou, dove-white-stripes, A Kingdom of Isolation, korrasarmyy, candycoatedmonster, jonissbouquet, xkii22, zulfi, astraphobic kisses, illegalsweaters, mouse, GlamorizedLevis, Tyzula-Forever, goldenfriedtofu, DearLemonLima, Guest and bubblybunnybabe.  
_

 _And super thank you to my beta electric gurrl!_

* * *

Chapter Ten  
Name

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I woke with someone beside me. It felt unusual; it was my first time in years.

I also woke with a killer hangover. By _killer_ , I mean it made me want to die.

On top of my malaise, I did not remember getting into bed with Mai, but I did not necessarily regret it either. Remorse was an unknown concept to me, even when I knew I would only love one woman for the rest of my life. That woman was not the one naked in my bed.

Before I could start thinking about the repercussions of having sex with Mai, I dragged myself out of bed, drew the navy curtains to soothingly block out the light, got dressed, drank the remnants of three water bottles and went to the bookshelf. It boasted an impressive collection of my favorite books.

No one could know about each and every novel I loved but someone very close to me, and there were not many people who had that credential. I glanced over my shoulder and wondered if Mai did it out of guilt or someone forced her at gunpoint.

After running my finger across the books, stopping at one or two titles, I landed on _Red Dragon_.

I smiled to myself. Yes, this was someone who knew me deeply. _Red Dragon_ for the _Blue Dahlia_. It was not as sophisticated as my other favorites, but it was good. The killer was disappointing. Then again, all were in fiction. They killed for deep and insane reasons. There were romanticized serial killers on television and movies, yes, but most murderers killed because they thought they have to.

But me? I killed because I wanted to.

"Did you pick these out?" I asked Mai as I heard the blankets rustle. Slowly, I sat down and opened the book.

"Yeah. Why does that matter?" Mai asked, sitting up and holding a sheet over herself.

"It's sweet of you," I remarked. "I always liked horror and thrillers, but I never liked the paranormal. Ghosts and monsters and aliens never captured my attention. When I was younger they actually scared me. I liked the slasher movies and books because you can fathom that. You don't know if a ghost is about to come up behind you, but you know if a human will."

"Not if that human is really fast or quiet, or you're not very attentive," said Mai.

"Well, yes. That's why those people die, but even the cleverest person can't expect an alien to burst from someone's stomach, and how can you run from something inside of your nightmares or able to fly through walls?"

"Yeah; good point." Mai shrugged. If she was disappointed about last night, she did not show it. "You can run from humans. That's a plus. But usually the killers seem to think ahead about that."

"Obviously. I don't like reading about the killers, though. I was always much more interested in the minds of the detectives. The people hunting them down. Their minds are so very strange to me, and so very fascinating. I suppose I am the detective now."

Mai made a noise somewhat like a laugh. "You're the detective now?"

"My purpose is to catch the copycat killer. That's what the detectives do, not the murderers," I coolly explained, smirking at her wrongful condescension.

Mai asked, "Well, any ideas, Madame Detective?"

"I was thinking about how I started. When I began, I was about fifteen and I was… sloppy. My father even caught me." I sucked in my cheeks, thought for a moment, and then set down the book. "I wonder if every killer makes mistakes when they start. Even prodigies aren't good at things immediately. Do you think someone who emulates would be a natural talent, Mai?"

"I have no idea." Mai had never killed before. I remembered _that_ from last night, drunk as I was. It was so funny to know, but did not surprise me either.

"I don't think so. I think my copycat probably fucked up at some point in the past." I turned away from the window but my migraine stayed intense. "Ty Lee told me something interesting. This person knew a trademark I never disclosed. It would have to be someone who saw the bodies up close."

Mai started getting dressed; she seemed interested at last. "Did you tell the police that?"

"No. I was saving it as a bargaining chip, but someone liberated me from prison before I could use it. I don't even remember everyone who saw the bodies, but I know a few definites. My father is locked up. I have no idea what police worked on the case save for their chief, who can't actually see, but would have received the detailed reports. You never did. The two people who had suspicions I took care of before they could say or do anything. I don't know what people discovered the discarded corpses but if they paid enough attention to detail, they might. Zuko and Ty Lee did. They both knew about it."

"Didn't you write a list of suspects?"

"I wrote it before she told me. My options for suspects were based on motive and how insane or obsessed they seemed when they visited me. I should have put more time and thought into it but I honestly didn't care. So, Mai, do you think we should tip anyone off?"

"That's your choice. I have no investment in finding the killer or whoever kidnapped Izumi, whether or not those are separate people."

"Separate people?"

"I forgot how drunk you were. I suggested to you that maybe the killer didn't take Izumi. They didn't stop killing after she was abducted. Another body could show up at any time. No one ever said that Izumi was really taken by the copycat."

I laughed for no decent reason. "Sometimes you are smarter than you look. I might subscribe to that idea. Although, the copycat has more motive to take her than anyone else."

"Zuko's a politician. If you want a list of people who would want to kidnap his kid, pick up a phone book."

"If we're going down this path, we should consider the possibility that it isn't just one person at all. Have you noticed how many people are here? How many others _aren't_? I have a fan club."

"Are we actually going to try to solve this?" Mai looked stunned. I liked it when I elicited expressions from her.

"Yes. I need you to do something for me. Find someone here who can access the police files."

xxx

In the stairwell, I finished my preparations to meet Ty Lee.

"I'm not coming with you," said Mai. I stared at her for a moment; I didn't think anyone had ever denied me like that.

"Are you scared that I'll make you do something _bad_?" I mockingly crooned.

"No. I'm scared that you'll leave me behind to get arrested. I'll stay here and find you someone who can access police files."

"That's fair." I touched the segment of my finger where wedding rings once dwelled. "I'll be back with my wife."

"Good luck," said Mai, and I thought perhaps she meant it.

How odd.

Maybe she was not as in love with me as I assumed.

xxx

As I drove, I thought about the theories Mai and I dreamt up. The brand was the most important lead, in my opinion. That narrows down the possible suspects to a much smaller pool than any other detail of the murders.

The shape of the brand that was concealed from the public was one Japanese character— _is_ if I count the copycat— **美**. It means beauty. I used to draw it on notebooks and the likes, and it meant nothing more than an adolescent doodle. That had nothing to do with my name, so it was less interesting to the public. I earned my slang title from blue paint and blood red flowers posthumously wound in hair or around wrists or even in lapels of men once or twice and, of course, the Chelsea smile.

My trademarks were silly. They came from when I was a girl and was fascinated by the noir—particularly the Black Dahlia murder—I always had the flowers around. The bodies were artwork in my mind, and the fire that I used to kill left quite ugly corpses.

So I decorated them.

It had no real significance other than habit. Teenagers make art based on bands they love or stupid movies or other obsessions they almost always outgrow. I kept doing it into adulthood.

The cause of death was always being burned alive. Usually, someone would die of smoke inhalation before the flames consumed them. In my opinion, that was quite merciful, especially taking into account how I treated my prisoners before I killed them.

None of those details had importance to me, but, to whoever was able to see the bodies and emulate my work, it was like a tribute to a god.

I arrived at my destination before I could put more thought into who might have known that I burned a teenage doodle into the skin of countless people.

xxx

Ty Lee was waiting for me at the abandoned shed where we used to lounge around as teenagers, just as I anticipated.

She was remarkably easy to manipulate, and I knew that she still burned with desire for me. I was her first love, and that mattered to someone like her. Maybe it did to me too, but I was never a romantic or even very good with… flirting, or things like that.

"I am so glad you came," I said, emphasizing the semi-sexual phrasing. It made her blush. How cute. "Let me make it clear that I do not have Izumi, nor do I know who the copycat is. I am looking for both of them, and you can help me. I assure you that I will do more than your husband and his new mistress."

"New mistress?" Ty Lee asked, acting so _startled_. I did give her the benefit of the doubt by wondering if she really was that oblivious.

"Don't tell me you don't notice him and Chief Beifong. I am blind to romantic tension and _I_ can see it," I remarked. She showed no surprise, and so I decided she was aware.

"You're not going to pull out a knife and force me to come with you?" Ty Lee softly asked.

"No. I am not going to force you to do anything. I want you to choose me. You are very indecisive—I have shopped for shoes with you—but I believe this decision is worth putting some thought into."

"I don't know." Ty Lee ground her shoe into the gravel.

"Yes, I figured. I want you to get into this car. No threats, no violence, no blackmail. I am just asking you to do it."

Ty Lee squeaked, "Maybe I shouldn't've come here."

"You are probably right about that, but I am not in the mood to debate it. Get in the car or don't get in the car." I crossed my arms.

Ty Lee stared at me, twitching a little bit. She was cute when she was nervous.

"What happens if I get in?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out. Choose."

Ty Lee took a few steps back and I thought she might run and leave. A smirk flickered on my lips when I saw her walk forward and get into the passenger seat. She was trembling, of course, but she made the right choice.

I did not take rejection very well.

xxx

After about twenty minutes of silent driving, I pulled over to the side of the rural road and Ty Lee reached for her seatbelt. My hand rushed out and stopped her, squeezing her hand and pulling her back. I could see the fear in her eyes, but there was no need for it.

"I want you to call my brother," I whispered, handing her phone back to her.

"Why?" Ty Lee asked, shaking my hand away. I allowed it, because I was polite.

"You are going to explain to him that I have kidnapped you, and that he will never see you again. You are going to inform him that I am going to kill you, and that it is his fault."

Ty Lee opened her mouth and then closed it. She dialed Zuko's number and I wondered why she did not resist. Maybe she knew that I was not going to do it.

"Hi, Zuko," Ty Lee whispered.

"Put it on speaker," I ordered and she did it, setting it down on her lap. I looked away from it, because I wanted to look.

 _"_ _Where are you? We found a body and a note,"_ Zuko hoarsely demanded. He was loud and there was interference on the other line.

"I'm with Azula," Ty Lee said flatly. She was clearly scared and I did not blame her. "She kidnapped me."

 _"_ _That's what the note said. Where are you? I need to find you. Tell me where you are."_

"Zuko, I can't. She made me call you. I'm supposed to tell you something."

 _"_ _Tell me."_

"I'm supposed to tell you that you'll never see me again, and…"

 _"_ _I'm gonna save you. Don't say that."_

"I'm not done," Ty Lee said, her voice forced. "I'm supposed to tell you that she is going to kill me and it's your fault."

I ended the call before the conversation could spiral out of control.

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

I got off the phone with Ty Lee and sank to the floor.

This was not happening. This was not happening. This was not happening.

It could not be like Katara. Not again.

"She won't kill Ty Lee," Chief Beifong said confidently. I glared at her before I remembered she could not see it.

"I wouldn't define my sister as having a heart," I spat.

"Did I say it was out of love? No, Ty Lee is her best damned bargaining chip. Killing her right off the bat is too stupid of a move for Azula," Toph said, sitting down. "I'm more worried about the fucking FBI."

"Why?" I asked. I couldn't believe she was trying to change the subject, but I was curious.

"Because they've decided to take control of the investigation, and I'm not okay with that. Azula is my responsibility. I caught her. She's the reason I became chief." Toph clenched her fist and I instantly could tell that this was too personal for either of us. We both had too much of a relationship with Azula.

"Maybe they're the right people for the job," I said.

"Maybe you should shut up," Toph grunted.

"Save Ty Lee. I don't care about your ego; I care about my wife and daughter." My voice was shaking and I didn't even care. Nobody would be strong in this situation.

Toph pursed her lips.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know she was thinking about the fact that I slept with her last night.


	11. Primal

**_AN:_** _Thank you so much to electric gurrl, YouNeverCanTell, the-blonde-jennie, Don't Touch My Walkman, fille de plaisirs, KorrasamixxTyzulaxDreams, weaponofmassiveconsumption, BabydollEyelashes, SuperlustrousRainstorm, GlamorizedLevis, jonissbouquet, SquishyBijou, korrasarmyy, illegalsweaters, alice-in-hollywoodland, Neon Dandelion, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, turtleducksymphony, MissHarloweGold, CeruleanWraith, HeavenBesideYou13, delicabledahlia, cranapplesurprise and DearLemonLima for reviewing!_

 _And super thank you to my beta, electric gurrl._

* * *

Chapter Eleven  
Primal

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

I wholeheartedly believe that we all have the innate desire to kill. The wild west, Cain and Abel, gladiators, crusaders… serial killers. These could not be glamorized further by the culture of the 20th and 21st century. In college, I wrote my senior thesis about murder through the centuries. It focused on those who gave in to those overwhelming urges everyone else represses.

Punishing murder will never stop it; it is too deeply ingrained in us.

Only one primal desire outweighs it. The one I was feeling at the moment, incapable of suppressing it. This need was certainly not to torture people to death and decorate their corpses. No, it ran deeper than killing. The _only_ thing more quintessential than stabbing someone to death.

God, I wanted to sleep with her.

Ty Lee was sitting down for dinner with me. We faced each other wordlessly as a pretty girl with bulbous eyes served Chinese takeout and fine wine. The food was laden with MSG; the wine was dry and fragrant. Yet, the woman across me was the one thing I wanted to savor.

"Why did you bring me here?" softly inquired Ty Lee, finally meeting my eyes. Hers were always so innocent, glimmering and glistening at all times. I knew, looking at those eyes, that I would never be able to erase my infatuation.

"To be with me," I purred, raising my glass in a swift toast. She did not return the gesture. "You must have missed me. I missed you."

"I…" Ty Lee hung her head.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of. I cannot count how many people have professed their love for me," I said, trying to lure her into thinking I was caring and compassionate enough to comfort her. She was easy to manipulate after all.

"We're not together anymore." Her fingers trembled. "You're not who I thought you were."

"I am exactly who I always was. Consider the killing to be a secret hobby. I was not tricking you, love," I said smoothly, winking at her and offering a sweet smirk. "You have known me since we were toddlers."

"Is Zuko looking for me?" Ty Lee asked, taking blatant deep breaths.

"I don't know," I replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

We ate in silence for a few moments.

"Will you kill him if you have the chance?" my ex-wife inquired.

"Ty Lee," I said, eyeing her with pity for her shallowness. "Zuko would more likely kill _me_. The Universe looks upon me with favor and his envy is by far strong enough to make him snap my neck. Father said I was born lucky, and he said Zuko was lucky to be born. His rage is ill-contained and I have mocked him and stolen what he loves. If he finds me, he will not hesitate to become the killer. It is in his blood, after all."

"He's a good person," Ty Lee insists, setting me off. I nearly throw the table at the wall, but keep myself composed.

"He's a loose cannon," I forcefully said, "with more daddy issues than a bus full of strippers and an inferiority complex. I am a better person than he will ever be and you will not contest that fact again. Understood?"

Ty Lee finally looked as frightened as she should be. Good. Fear was the best way to control her until she saw the light and remembered her love for me. It should not be remarkably hard; she was _Ty Lee_. She had been in love with me since we were in kindergarten.

Due to our long and colorful history of romance, I did not know what ever made Zuko desirable to her. I wanted to know; perhaps she would tell me within the next few days if I played my cards right.

"So, you always have a plan," said Ty Lee, poking at her food with a fork instead of eating it. "Do you this time?"

"Of course, but I have no idea why I would ever tell you," I said. Honestly, I did not have a plan, but I would never let anyone know. "I hope we can trust each other eventually."

Ty Lee set her chin on her palm and her elbow on the table. I watched her fluid movements with a forgotten hunger burning inside of me.

"I never loved Zuko," said Ty Lee, lowering her eyes, evidently ashamed. "I slept with him because you stopped making me feel special. You became cold. Zuko r-r-r-revered… Is revered that word? Revered me."

Maybe some honesty washed over me; maybe I was cleverer than I thought I was. I said, "I think you are special, Ty Lee. You are…" I did not need to explain myself, although I meant my words. "Listen to me; I have always wanted you. I love you, but the one thing I am not prodigious at is loving."

Ty Lee burst into tears. I did not know why. I also did not know how to console her. Therefore, I got up and abandoned my lo mein, red wine and ex-wife.

I needed to get away from the emotional madness.

xxx

"Mai," I said as we crossed paths in a shadowy corridor, my blood rushing to my heart and legs, leaving me faint. Few things had ever made me feel that way. "Have you seen Ty Lee yet? I am sure she would love to see her best friend. Of course, since you two are close enough to betray me together, I'm sure she'd love to see you."

Mai's expression was unreadable, even with my impressive gift. I did not know where we stood and found myself thinking about it more often than I should.

"I'll have breakfast with her tomorrow or something," said Mai, shrugging while simultaneously averting her eyes. My lips twitched as I tried to suppress a smirk about what I uncovered.

"Are you jealous?" I mocked with a sparkle in my golden eyes. My smirk asserted itself at last. "You are, aren't you?"

Mai looked disgusted, and she so rarely displayed emotion. I felt that I had won.

I always win.

People should know that by now.

xxx

I visited Ty Lee in the dead of the night. She sat at the foot of her bed, petrified.

"You don't have to be so scared," I said, reaching forward and brushing her hair away from her eyes. I loved those eyes.

I lowered my hand and ran my thumb along her lower lip. She longingly gazed at me, not resisting my touch. Therefore, I leaned forward and kissed her fiercely.

Ty Lee kissed me back. She knotted her fingers in my hair and pulled me closer. I loved it. I felt fire burning me up, consuming me with warmth.

Murder is cold; sex is hot.

I snaked my hand up Ty Lee's shirt and caressed her breast. She moaned into my shoulder before suddenly pushing me away.

"I'm sorry," whispered Ty Lee.

I left her room without saying a word.

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

"We should have never slept together," I told Chief Beifong. It was a disclaimer, not a conversation starter. I wanted to pretend that I was repulsed at myself… maybe I was.

The two of us were at the police station. She had her staff focused on trying to find Ty Lee, if Azula did not get to her first. My wife might be dead. Again. I might have cheated on her before she died. Again.

I was really the most despicable person alive.

And Chief Toph Beifong really did not seem to care.

"I want to start looking for the backgrounds of Azula's leads. We need to see if any of them have a MacDonald Triad, and any suspicious behavior lately. We can't waste time interviewing them all," Toph said, again refusing to mention our tryst.

"I _said_ we should never have slept together!" I glowered, not caring that she could not see my livid expression.

" _I_ said we need to focus on rescuing your damsel in distress and your kid. You really should be more worried about them than worried about what we did on an impulse," bluntly said Toph. "It was an impulse, a one-night stand, it meant nothing, and nobody has to know about it. I don't even want to know about it anymore so shut up and start focusing on the case."

Of course she was right.

I sighed and sunk into my seat.


	12. Memories

**_AN:_** _I wrote Chapter 13, then my wonderful beta electric gurrl and I realized how my last chapter (12) would be bolstered by the ideas in my rough draft of Chapter 13, and that they would fit together better as one continuous chapter with some tweaks. I trust her and I think this is way better (and **three thousand words longer**_ _) than the last version of the chapter._

 _Moving on, for Chapter 11 thank you so much to Madness-and-Corona, iliasc, SeducedbyFire, delictabledahlia, the princess emoji, Guest, Distracted by Lemons, Oh You in that Dress, Guest, FanfictionVillainess, foxxywinter, the-blonde-jennie, BabydollEyelashes, RagingRainbowRattlesnake, DearLemonLima, the-yellow-rose-girl, Guest, goldenfriedtofu, azurecobaltandteal, HeavenBesideYou13, illegalsweaters, weaponofmassiveconsumption, KorrasamixxTyzulaxxDreams, hotlips29, and Powder Gangers Go._

 _For the original version of Chapter 12, thank you so much to QueenTyzula, the-yellow-rose-girl, delictabledahlia, KawaiiEyeliner, illegalsweaters, jonissbouquet, xxcandyjellylovexx, xxlunareclipseoftheheartxx, PrincesaVanessa, cranapplesurprise, hotlips29, Streetlight Eyes, pokeythetraitor, ThisUnitHasNoSoul, Fake Nails Real Heart, American Zombie, CeruleanWraith, aurelia dex noctis, smokeandshadowfeels, iliasc, turtleducksymphony, and bunnyprincess49._

* * *

Chapter Twelve  
Memories

* * *

 ** _Zuko_**

* * *

 _I wasn't a witness at my sister's trial. They came close to subpoenaing me but they knew they would put her behind bars forever. Since I did not want to testify against my own family—no matter how much I despised her—I did nothing but sit and watch._

 _On that cruelly sunny day years ago, the grief surrounding Katara's death still overwhelmed me. I barely did anything those days; I hardly ever got out of my bed. Coming to the courthouse was the hardest thing I had ever done. The reporters alone daunted me to no end. I knew it was the trial of the century and I was a key role in it all._

 _Despite my reluctance to testify against my own family, I watched Azula's wife and best friend betray her in front of the world. Maybe I counted myself lucky. Even Mai looked uncomfortable and emotional when it came down to it._

 _Azula turned her head over her shoulder during the testimony of a police officer._

 _She looked at me. Not her lost love, not the friend that betrayed her, not anyone else. My sister met my eyes and, even though she spoke so softly I could not hear, I could read her lips._

 _"You always were a coward," she breathed and I clenched my fists._

 _She made me sicker than she did anyone else._

* * *

It was a chilly morning, but I was sweating in my suit when I showed up at the police station. I strode past people who should probably stop me in my tracks and barged into Chief Beifong's office. Toph shot me a look that made my skin crawl. While I didn't know how a blind woman could 'look' at someone so intimidatingly, I stood my ground.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, kicking her feet up on her desk. I supposed it was a display of power and control. "Do you have more info from Azula?"

"No. I'm here because we need to find Izumi," I said, jabbing my finger forward in the air. It occurred to me that she could not see it but I didn't care. My daughter was worth anything in the world. I couldn't bear to never see her again.

Chief Beifong sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. It was in that moment that I first noticed her weariness. "Look, Pyralis, we're done looking for Izumi. She's dead, okay? She's fucking dead and I don't wanna be the one to break that to you."

My heart jumped into my throat and I thought I was going to throw up. "You found her body?"

Chief Beifong shook her head, frowning bitterly. "No. But she's dead. Or at least we're at a dead end not worth working at. Right now we have a way bigger issue than some senator's missing kid. Azula Pyralis broke out of prison. Azula Pyralis has a fucking cult of killers. We have to worry about her."

I ground my teeth and lunged forward. Instead of grabbing the blind woman before me, I grabbed a chair and smashed it into the wall. _Hard_.

"Oh, please," sarcastically said Toph, throwing her head back. "Continue destroying my office. It looked ugly before anyway."

I stopped my fit of rage, heart thundering. "Looked ugly?"

Toph said cavalierly, only fueling the fire of my anger, "Just a joke. I keep 'em coming. Do you or do you not have anything to contribute about Azula Pyralis?"

I screamed, "Ty Lee! What about Ty Lee?"

Toph scowled and a chill washed over me. What we did. What we thought about doing regularly. "Remembered her pretty late, huh, big guy? She's part of the case. We find Azula, we find her, I guarantee you." Toph was quiet for a moment. I caught my breath. "

"I need Izumi," I breathlessly said, fists clenched.

Toph waved her hand and grunted. "You have resources. Find her. Whatever. If you're not here about Azula, you can get lost."

"I thought we… I thought we…"

Toph snorted derisively. "We were friends? We were more than friends? I'm doing my job, Senator Pyralis, and you never fail to remind me why I hate politicians. So, listen, I know you're worried about your kid, but we're looking for Azula Pyralis, not Izumi. I'd be an idiot to keep chasing after a kid everybody thinks is dead. Okay? I'm worried about the fucking escaped serial killer. And she seems interested in you, so you're gonna help me. Got it?"

"Got it," I growled, already done with this awful woman. I was right to hate her like I did when we initially met.

I could do nothing but storm away and slam the door behind me.

Not a single officer tried to stop me or calm me down as I bolted from the station.

xxx

After a night of drinking and working out—an odd combination I found helped somewhat with my anger issues—I woke up hungover and sore as fuck. And, to top the misery off, I woke to my phone ringing and vibrating ferociously under my rock hard pillow.

I recognized the number… and I answered the phone anyway. I knew I shouldn't do it because there was not a way to trace Azula or the call, but she had Ty Lee and therefore I had to answer. Anyway, I was done working with Chief Beifong. She could do her thing and find Azula; I could do my thing and find my daughter. It would be what Ty Lee would want. Right? Right?

"Azula," I growled. "What do you want?"

"You sound so happy to hear from me," she replied cutely. I could just _hear_ the smug smirk. "Did you know that both Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac Killer taunted the police and media but were never caught?"

"But," I retorted as smoothly as possible, "you were. You always forget that part when you get so smug."

"I won't be captured a second time," she coolly said without missing a beat. I hoped to throw her off more than that. "I will cut to the chase, since you never were one for pleasantries and today seem quite rude and eager to get to the point."

"So?" I growled, almost ready to hang up. Yet, I knew I needed to hear her out. I was hopeless in many ways.

"I want to find your daughter," purred Azula, stunning me, "and I want to find the copycat. This time, I am not the killer; I am the detective."

I stated strongly, "No, you still murdered over seventy people including my wife."

"Oh, as if you cared about her. You were _cheating on_ her. That is why you did not testify against me. You were too much of a coward to admit what you did," Azula said and I fought not to break my cell phone. That would feel really good right about now. "And I am sure you've cheated on Ty Lee with your little police girlfriend."

"I didn't!" I shouted, throwing my coffee onto the floor. The mug shattered loudly. I wondered if she could hear on the other line.

"You protest too much," Azula whispered and I did not say another word. "Now, I of course do not want to have direct contact with you since I am not stupid, but I will send someone to meet you at Alexi's Diner this afternoon at two."

I laughed at her gall. Maybe she became dumber in prison. "I'm not getting myself killed."

"It's a busy public place. You can even bring the whole police force with you. I need help from them anyway, because I think I could be of great assistance. I think Izumi is alive and I know you want to find her," Azula said. She sounded earnest but I knew better than to trust her.

"Do you have her?" I quietly asked, beginning to doubt that. Maybe it really was someone else. I just didn't know. I never knew anymore. I ran my hand through my hair and tugged at the loose locks.

"No," she said, confirming my suspicions, "and I have no desire to let her die. We must act fast, and you know that."

I said honestly, "I don't work with Chief Beifong anymore."

"How unfortunate," purred Azula. "I like her."

xxx

I was nineteen when I met Katara. We were twenty when we married. Azula was nine when she met Ty Lee. They were eighteen when they married. None of us knew what we were doing; we were too young to make good choices.

Then again, I never made the best decisions when it came to my love life. Toph was probably a terrible one. Ty Lee started as pure lust that became a marriage out of spite for my sister. Katara and I hated each other when we first were placed in the same science class, but one day we were paired in a geology lab and started to get to know each other. It was after we were married for a few years that we realized the initial hatred was wise.

My first love was also a bad idea. She was dark and mysterious and I loved her before I even talked to her for the first time. When she spent summer break with my family, she loved me back. We were in love. A few months later, we were in loathing.

Toph was working. Ty Lee was MIA. Katara was dead.

Mai was sitting at a corner booth in Alexi's Diner, staring disdainfully at a menu I knew was delicious. She _would_ find something wrong with it. She was her.

"I want to call this a coincidence," I said, approaching her.

"You can. It's not one. But you can call it that if it makes you feel better about your girlfriend's investigative skills," she replied coolly, which reminded me why we never worked out.

"There's no way my sister would let you help her. You betrayed her."

"Yeah. I know. I'm pretty much waiting for the literal stab in the back, so now that you know, will you just sit down and get this over with?"

I did, but not because she told me to. This was an important meeting.

"How do you know I didn't bring the police?" I asked, knowing it was not a conventional icebreaker. Still, I knew she was putting a lot on the line.

Mai gave me that same blank, mocking gaze. I remembered it and I hated it. "I don't. Did you?"

"No," I honestly admitted.

Mai cocked an eyebrow. Such a vivid expression. "I could kill you."

"I could defend myself. I'm not enthusiastic about the police force when it comes to finding Izumi. I'm open to alternative routes now," I stated, clenching my fists atop the table.

Mai remarked, "Like making deals with the devil. You're stupid but you have your heart in the right place."

"That's right," I said.

I picked up a menu and prepared to face the madness.

Mai sat across from me in the diner.

"I didn't know you were with Azula."

"It isn't like we regularly meet up for tea parties."

"Do you have to be that way?"

"Yes. I've got some ideas about Azula. I think her plan to save Izumi is slightly insane, but I also think it's the best one you have."

I scoffed. "The best one I have? How would you know?"

"Just a guess. Azula wants to use you to find Izumi."

"I'm doing it on my own."

"She wants to make you relevant. She wants to intertwine herself, so that the police have no choice but to help you find your daughter. She knows they want her."

"I don't want to be her toy."

"Even if it saves your daughter's life?"

I remained silent. God, I didn't know what to say, what to think. I would do anything to see my daughter again and to know she's safe. But the idea of playing Azula's games sickened me.

"Let me talk to her."

"She had that in mind. Maybe you two think alike."

I laughed. "Doubtful."

"Not yet, though. We have to do this right."

"So, small talk?" I bitterly suggested, cocking an eyebrow.

We were silent for an uncomfortable stretch of time.

"You're not a one woman man, are you?" Mai commented.

I didn't know how to respond to that. It took me off guard.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're super in love with the blind chick." She took another drag from a cigarette. "Just like you were super in love with Ty Lee. Super in love with Katara. Wrote me terrible sonnets. I'm not really good at psychoanalyzing people. Maybe I just don't give a fuck. But you fall in love too easily."

"As opposed to you, who has never been in love at all? Or my sister? My sister the psychopath." At that moment, I considered getting up and walking away, but then I remembered my daughter and forced myself to stay seated.

"I think it's obvious she fell in love at least once. Or did you not pick up on that by now?"

"Probably only once, if that. Ty Lee wouldn't have—"

"Cheated on her with you?"

"Yeah. If Azula was loving, she wouldn't have done that. Something was lacking."

"Or Ty Lee is flighty and seeks constant attention. Who knows? Now, do you want my help finding Izumi or not?"

"You were the one prolonging this conversation."

"Okay, finding Ty Lee aside, because I think you know where she is and you're just fucking with me for my sister, I think I'm running out of time. They gave me forty-eight hours… three weeks ago."

"Then I guess you're fucked. Sorry."

" _Mai_."

"You have a really pessimistic attitude about this."

"And you don't have a really pessimistic attitude about _everything_?"

Mai glanced at her phone and instantly lost any semblance of interest in conversation. "I never said I was perfect. But let's get this Silence of the Lambs circus on the road, shall we? I'm taking you to meet her."

"Meet…?"

"The Empress Cleopatra. Who do you think?"

" _Azula_? She's a bit overconfident, wouldn't you say?"

"You state the obvious way too often, don't you think? Now hurry up."

We rose and headed out into the gravel parking lot. Mai kept walking, leading me into the woods surrounding the cars.

The two of us walked and walked and I regretted it more and more with every step.

We reached a girl in a hoodie and an iPad she held like a child presenting a crude art project to her parents. As we grew closer and came to a halt, I saw my sister on the screen, smirking at me, eyeing my closely.

I turned to Mai and snarled, "This isn't Azula."

My sister interjected in that sickening purr, "I suppose you have never been introduced to technology, or basic common sense."

"I just want my daughter, goddammit." I clenched my fists. "Give me my fucking daughter!"

"I am working on that, ZuZu." She smirked at me and I barely stopped myself from breaking the iPad. "Even though you slept with my wife, I am going to help you."

"How effing generous," I growled, glaring at her.

"I am a generous girl," she replied prettily, and I hated her all the more. "Do you have any questions?"

"Where's Izumi?"

Azula sighed. "I can't explain this to you again. I want to find out. I'll be in touch."

I stared as she waved, reached forward and removed her image from the screen.

"Wasn't much of a conversation, was it?" I demanded.

"She just wanted proof," said Mai.

"Of what?"

"Of you. That you're going to play along with her."

I remained silent.

I didn't know what to say.

What _could_ I say?

xxx

In the morning, long after parting ways with Mai, I woke up to a new e-mail. It was one among hundreds, but it was the most important message I received in my entire life.

The attachment mattered.

The attachment was a video of Izumi. She was sitting there, glancing up at the camera, waving. Two hands—feminine hands—made her wave and intervened with her toys. They had her locked somewhere grungy and I didn't know what to do.

At first, I thought I might cry, but any potential tears transformed into anger.

I watched the video again and again, more pained each time, until I collected myself, got dressed, grabbed my laptop and stormed into the police station.

Chief Beifong sighed pointedly when I entered her office.

"I got an e-mail," I said, setting my laptop on her filthy desk. "Look."

Toph Beifong cleared her throat. It took a me a moment to realize what I said wrong.

So, I explained, "It's of Izumi. The captors sent it."

"Captors?" asked Toph, emphasizing the fact that the term was plural. I was shocked by it too, so I understood.

I explained, "There's more than one set of hands in the video. It's muted, though."

"Shame. Are they torturing her?"

"Define torturing."

"What are we? The fucking UN? Common sense, Pyralis."

"No. They're just… taunting me with her."

"Do you think it's Azula?"

"No. I really don't. I shouldn't believe her when she says she didn't take my daughter, but I do. She doesn't gain anything from it and this e-mail isn't her style."

"When she _says_?"

"Said. Whatever. She said it to Ty Lee back when we had her in custody."

"I know you talked to Azula not two days ago. How did that go?"

"How the fuck would you know that?"

Casually, Chief Beifong explained, "I tapped your phone."

Rage surged through me like a tsunami of fire. I shouted, "You _tapped my phone_? That's a serious invasion of privacy!"

Chief Beifong sardonically repeated, " _That's a serious invasion of privacy_."

"How mature," I snarled, barely keeping myself from punching the fucking wall.

"It's called police work, Pyralis. Familiarize yourself with it if you ever want to see your sister back behind bars. Or your wife and daughter again, for that matter. I let Azula think she was getting away with something. Let you think it too. So tell me what she wanted."

I took a deep breath and decided to lie my cheeks off; it was the only way Azula's plan could work.

* * *

 ** _Azula_**

* * *

 _It was a lazy evening in a boarding school science lab, and I lounged beside Ty Lee atop a table beneath the glistening rays of the winter sun. I studied the lovely preserved butterfly in her hand. Her skin was too flawless. That was the day I later nicked her with the pin and tempted her with a vibrant pink band-aid. It made her flawed, which was the best way for others to be._

 _"Why do you like dead things?" asked Ty Lee._

 _"I don't," I replied, but I was uncertain about it. "Don't you think they're pretty?"_

 _Ty Lee nodded. "Yeah. I do. They're so delicate. Do you remember fourth grade when the teacher got that butterfly kit where we grew them from caterpillars into adults and then set them free? That was so fun."_

 _"You named them all," I said, recalling the class project. It was not a bad one. "I liked the one named after me. It was my favorite."_

 _Ty Lee smiled. "It was my favorite too."_

 _I stared at her lips for too long. She was much, much more experienced in relationships than I and knew what that meant. Ty Lee took her opportunity to kiss me._

 _It felt perfect and right._

* * *

I spent the night with Ty Lee. It began more like a sleepover than a tryst but there was room to grow in our relationship. There always was.

We sat awake at three AM, sitting across from each other on the bed.

"Am I an object to you? I feel like everybody is," Ty Lee daringly asked, toying with the soft blanket she had wrapped around her.

"I suppose," I said, shrugging carelessly.

Ty Lee balked. I did not know why; there appeared to be little reason behind that reaction. She was the one who asked the question.

"Is that true?" Ty Lee whispered, sniffling. She seemed so deeply hurt by something so small. I remembered her as much more optimistic and harder to faze.

"It is true of my victims and my little groupies. They are objects to me. Is that unkind to say? Of course. Is it true? Of course," I said softly, taking a lock of Ty Lee's hair in my fingers. "Do not say I think you're an object, because you are not. You are the only person in this world I have ever cared about. Why would you break my heart?"

"If I'm not an object, I'm a pet." Ty Lee sounded too heartbroken. It made little sense to me.

"Is that so bad?" I whispered in a husky voice that was half forgotten.

She very slightly shivered. No one without as much observation as myself would notice.

"No. It's not so bad. I wouldn't mind being a kitten or something. Pets have really nice lives," Ty Lee said, her words so hasty that I knew she regretted her bold query. "I always am so jealous of my little dog. All he does is sleep all day."

"Like you," I purred. "And, like you, the very best part of his day is when his human comes home."

Ty Lee laughed a genuine giggle.

I smirked. She always would be wrapped around my finger, regardless of what I did.

She kissed me, reaching one hand forward and setting her palm on the side of my face. I forgot that she did that. We leaned in, embracing the passion of the heated moment. We kissed a few more times. Then she slowly and gently pushed me down by the shoulder.

I lay on my back and she leaned down, sticking her tongue right into my mouth. I also forgot that she did that. It was still surprisingly sexy, which absolutely should not have been. Maybe I was just too in lust to notice.

We crushed our lips together a few more times but it ended there.

Not yet. I needed things to be perfect or I would not win her over.

Our lust was certain; our love was not.

xxx

In the morning, I lay on my back on the porch swing outside. I wanted to watch the sunrise like I always did. The cold penetrated even the thickest skin and bones, therefore I earlier had wrapped myself in a thick, large sweater. That was not particularly my _look_ , but I needed to be away from everyone.

I expected to be interrupted and expected to _destroy_ someone for it.

However, I did not anticipate Ty Lee to be that person. It rendered me off-guard and I sat up. I edged backwards and leaned against the arm of the swing. Ty Lee graciously accepted that invitation.

She reached down and picked up a weed. I studied it closely as she began slowly peeling the petals away, mouthing old schoolyard words.

"What a silly little game," I purred. "She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not."

Ty Lee dropped the tattered flower and let it float away.

"I always liked it."

"Is it not easier to ask?" I inquired, edging even closer.

Ty Lee hugged her knees to her chest.

"I thought you would start kicking against the floor," I said, my lips twitching. A smirk did not stick. "It seems more like you."

"I dunno." Ty Lee smiled. "I guess I'm just more mature than when we were together."

"You still have that cutesy charm," I said, winking at her.

"Do you love me?" Ty Lee asked.

"I haven't the slightest clue," I replied, startled by my honesty. "But you have plenty of time to find out."

"You're so much smoother now. Was that prison or what?" Ty Lee asked. I could not help but snicker at that outburst. Ty Lee blushed bright pink. "Why are you laughing?"

"Maybe it was," I said, leaning in to kiss her.

We stumbled on the swing and decided to swear off that until we went inside.

xxx

The day before my conversation with ZuZu, Ty Lee strode down the stairs in our lovely manor. I stood in a satin, flowing red dress that brushed softly against my knees. _Her_ idea of a glamorous date outfit clearly differed from mine.

I mockingly inquired, "Why are you dressed like the whore the rest of the trailer park decided they needed to stone to death?"

Ty Lee blushed a hue pinker than her crop top. "I thought we were having dinner together."

"Not an answer to my question," I coldly stated.

"You never had a problem with how I dressed before," commented Ty Lee, smiling faintly, as if there were a solitary happy memory of our marriage in existence. I did not know why I still cared for her. Perhaps it was mere habit.

"Oh, yes I did," I said, dredging up an archaic memory of jealousy and loathing. "Remember Zuko and Katara's little Superbowl party and that awful bikini you wore. It was devastating."

"She hated sports," said Ty Lee, eyelashes fluttering. They were fake, and I wondered what about her was real. Certainly, I did not trust my favorite guest.

"She didn't have my father. Her family was always so perfect… except for her cheating husband, of course. And _I_ was always so perfect… except for my cheating wife, of course." I reached forward and gently took her hand in mine.

Ty Lee stepped forward instead of away, as I anticipated. Hm. I did not know someone so simply could ever take me by surprise.

She asked sweetly, "Do you think she loved him as much as I love you?"

"I don't care." I shrugged one shoulder and winked with the opposite eye.

Ty Lee said huskily, approaching closer and closer, "Because I don't think anybody has ever loved anybody as much as I love you."

I curtly retorted, "Cute."

"I mean it. _Azula_ , I'm standing here in front of a fugitive serial killer who still gives me butterflies like I just met her. I have a child to worry about but all I…"

"All you can think about is me and what outfit you ought to wear to dinner. Perhaps the difference in your braid. I noticed. We used to braid our hair together when we were kids."

Ty Lee's eyes drifted elsewhere for a few heartbeats. At last she said softly, "Izumi does that with her friends."

I snarled, "Please, do not say a word about her to me. I have no desire to think about her right now."

"Can we talk about your own victims, then? Do you ever think about any of them? Do you ever wonder if you're fucked up? Did you… _did_ you ever wonder if you should just let them go and hope for the best? That you were in over your head? Do you feel regret? Do you? Do you ever regret any of the people you tortured and killed?"

"It was worth it, and I would do it all again. It was worth it to hold someone in my arms and feel the life in them slipping away." I closed my eyes and let the soft, soothing memories wash over me. When I opened them again, I saw Ty Lee eyeing me closely, not in judgment, but in reverie.

"It sounds beautiful when you put it that way. I wouldn't be able to kill someone, I think. To hurt them. To hold them hostage. I don't know if I could kill, because… I don't know if I understand what their life means."

"Listen to me," I said, gently touching Ty Lee. Her skin was soft and smooth beneath my feverish fingertips. "I am deeply clever and intelligent. You are not. Deeply clever and intelligent people understand that life is meaningless, the world is meaningless, it's all meaningless, so you might as well have some fun."

Ty Lee faintly smiled. "You've said that before."

And she left me with nothing else to say.

I did the only thing I could do; I kissed her fiercely on the lips. It took my breath away, and made her tremble so beautifully.

And she _loved it_.

I swept her off to bed, date be damned.

xxx

In the morning, I woke alone, walked downstairs and passed two or three followers whom I paid no mind. At last, I reached the kitten and saw Ty Lee chewing on chocolate Pop Tarts. I hated them. Food I hated was never in this house.

Coldly, my lip twisted in a snarl, I demanded, "Where did you get those?"

"Oh. When Mai was out shopping for me she got them. Want one?" Ty Lee held up a Pop Tart with a blithe and reckless grin.

I asked, stepping closer and closer like a lioness stalking prey. "Mai was out shopping for you? How many times has she done this?"

"Pretty regularly. You know, she's allowed to leave whenever and I'm not and we're like second best friends so she goes on some errands for me."

"I didn't know that you and Mai are close."

"Not in that way, if that's what you think. You don't need to be jealous."

"No. I mean that I don't trust you two together. Not because I think you'll fuck her, but because you both turned on me in that courtroom. How long have you stayed friends with her?"

"We reconnected about six months ago and caught up—just as friends, of course—and that's all. We've kept it quiet for a really long time. Zuko didn't like our friendship either."

I could not resist seizing her and slamming her back against the wall. She did not scream; she inhaled deeply, eyes flashing wide and frightened. I held her there, leaning close, feeling the heat radiating from her panicked body as I locked eyes with her.

"Do _not_ compare me to Zuko!" I shrieked in her ear.

"I—I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to."

I crushed my lips against hers. It was impulsive. Rarely, was I impulsive, but at this moment, I could not resist the wildness inside of my core.

I loved her. I loved her. I loved her.


End file.
